Manila Standard - 2023 February 14 - Tuesday

EDGE EAGLES, WIN SUPER BOWL LVII

IN 1ST PHONE CALL, ZELENSKY THANKS PBBM FOR ‘SUPPORT’

PBBM: Cha-cha not a priority

Says many things to do first, still lawmakers to

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr said that Charter change is “not a priority” of his administration even as the heads of the House and Senate committees on constitutional amendments said they will continue holding public hearings and consultations on “Cha-cha” proposals.

“It is not a priority for me because there are so many things to do... there are so many other things that we need to do first,” Mr. Marcos said Sunday night as he arrived from a five-day official visit to Japan.

“We can still achieve what we want within the present Constitution, with the way the Constitution is written,” he added.

Mr. Marcos acknowledged that talks on Charter change have surfaced “because of the economic provisions.”

“We want to have investment but things like these delays us -- you know what are the issues: the ownership, appropriation, things like that,” the President said.

“But for me, all that is being discussed, we can do it even without the Charter change,” he added.

Senator Robin Padilla said he will continue discussing proposals for Charter change even as he described Mr. Marcos’ disinterest in amending the Constitution as “sad.”

Padilla said the entry of foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the country would be limited unless the Constitution is changed.

Congress to pass MIF, 9 Palace key bills by June

By Vince Lopez, Macon Ramos-

and Rey E. Requejo

MALACAÑANG on Monday said Congress has committed to passing 10

Bakers claim low supply of Pinoy breads

By Othel V. Campos

BUDGET breads, which are a staple food for many Filipino families, are now seldom seen in groceries and supermarkets, a group of bakers said Monday.

Henry Ah of the Filipino-Chinese Bakers Association Inc. (FCBAI) said store inventory of budget breads seems to be low as there is not enough supply.

“I heard many consumers are looking for Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Tasty but some are not able to buy since the product, sometimes, is not available,”

pursue public hearings

priority measures of the Marcos administration by June 2, including the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund. The priority bills were tackled during the executive committee meeting of

AFP tells China to ‘control its forces,’ tags laser incident as provocative act

the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which serves as a consultative and advisory body to the President.

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday called on China to control its forces following reports that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel pointed a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship, causing “temporary blindness” to the crew of the BRP Malapascua.

“The Secretary of National Defense

has already declared... that the act committed by the Coast Guard of China is offensive and unsafe,” a spokesperson for the AFP, Col. Medel Aguilar, said.

“Therefore, I think it is time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces so that it does not commit any provocative act that will endanger [the]

Search, rescue works winding down as quake death toll hits

35,000

THE death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed above 35,000 on Monday, with search and rescue teams starting to wind down their work.

Officials and medics said 31,643 people had died in Turkey and 3,581 in Syria from last Monday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 35,224.

Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble a week as the UN warned the toll was set to rise far higher.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Sunday that the Philippine contingent sent to Turkey following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake has already provided significant assistance and has helped a lot of individuals in the disaster-struck country.

The President made this remark in a chance interview onboard PR 001 en route to Manila after his “very

How First Couple will mark V-Day? Secret!

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he has plans to mark Valentine’s Day today (February 14) with First Lady Liza Marcos but did not detail them.

“Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day again. Time passes by so fast, Oh, gosh. Do I have any plans? I do now” he said in a chance interview with the media.

Marcos just came from a five-day working visit to Japan where he was accompanied by the First Lady and their eldest son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.

The Marcos couple first met in New York when the First Lady was still a practicing lawyer. They got married at the San Francesco Convent in Fiesole, Italy on April 17, 1993.

Aside from Sandro, the presidential couple has two other sons: Joseph Simon Marcos and William Vincent Marcos. During Mrs. Marcos’ birthday in August, the President serenaded his wife, whom he described as the family’s “all-around lifesaver,” with his rendition of “Never Let Her Slip Away.” Vince Lopez

Araneta

AID TO TURKEY. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (center), through the Speaker’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative, turns over $100,000 financial assistance to Turkey Ambassador Niyazi Evren Akyol for earthquake victims at the Speaker’s Office on Monday.

Also pictured (from right) are Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, Majority Leader Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, the Ambassador’s wife Inddri Puspitarasi, Pangasinan Rep. Ma. Rachael Arenas, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Zamboanga Del Norte Rep. Glorna Labadlabad. Ver Noveno

GREEN LASER LIGHT. This handout photo taken on February 6 and released by the Philippine Coast Guard on February 13 shows a Chinese Coast Guard vessel (inset) shining a “military grade laser light” at a PCG boat nearly 20 kilometers from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. AFP

PNP: SIM card scammers ‘rushing’

THE Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) on Monday warned scammers were rushing to victimize SIM card owners as the deadline for its registration draws near.

ACG director Brig. Gen. Joel Doria said scammers were aware it will be difficult to dupe mobile phone users once the SIM registration was

fully implemented. “We noticed that the scammers are working double time because they know that sim card registration was be -

lives of people,” he added.

Aguilar said this was the first time that the CCG directed a laser light at a PCG ship.

The PCG on Monday accused a CCG vessel of pointing a “militarygrade” laser light at one of its vessels supporting a military rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal.

The PCG said the Chinese vessel with bow number 5205 directed a laser light at PCG vessel BRP Malapascua during a Feb. 6 rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine Navy.

The Chinese vessel also made “dangerous maneuvers” by coming within about 140 meters of the Philippine boat, the PCG said.

The incident happened nearly 20 kilometers from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where Philippine marines are stationed, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.

It was the latest episode in a series of maritime incidents between the Philippines and China, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

The incident also occurred days after the United States and the Philippines agreed to resume joint patrols in the sea and struck a deal to give US troops access to another four military bases in the Southeast Asian country.

The PCG patrol boat was supporting a “rotation and resupply mission” last week for the troops, who live in a derelict navy ship grounded on the shoal to assert Manila’s territorial claims.

“The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel... is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,” the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Manila refers to waters immediately to its west as the West Philippine Sea.

Despite the interference, the resupply and rotation of troops at Second Thomas Shoal were successful, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armando Balilo said.

Privately owned vessels are normally used to carry supplies, with the coast guard accompanying them.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels also blockaded the Philippines-garrisoned shoal in August to stop government ships from reaching the troops, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed in January to set up direct communication between their foreign ministries to avoid “miscommunication” in the area.

It is not known if the hotline was used in the latest incident.

The US-Philippine deal earlier this month brings to nine the total number of Philippine bases accessible to US forces.

It comes as the longtime allies seek to counter China’s military rise in the region.

Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei also have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea.

In reaction, Senator Risa Hontiveros said if the Chinese government wants to show true leadership in the region, it should act responsibly, and restrain any behavior by its coast guard, navy, and maritime militia that might further inflame the situation in the West Philippine Sea.

She added that China was only getting more brazen by the day.

The senator also slammed as illegal their presence in the West Philippine Sea.

“This is why our Navy and Coast Guard forces have my full support as they implement proper countermeasures against the repeated unjust and violent operations of Chinese elements in the country’s maritime zones,” she said. Macon Ramos-Araneta with AFP

ing expedited,” he said.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. urged SIM card sellers to record and register the names of their buyers and check their IDs.

As of February 5, ICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said at least 28 million SIM cards have been registered.

The number is a little less than 20 percent of the 150 million SIM

cards issued by telecommunication firms.

Uy, however, said scammers use SIM cards only once and then throw them away.

Users are given 180 days to register their SIM cards, or else face the risk of having these deactivated.

The deadline for SIM registration is on April 26.

Inphone call, Zelensky thanks PBBM for ‘support’

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday finally talked with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked him for supporting his country’s sovereignty amid its ongoing war with Russia, which is entering its first year.

“Had the first phone call in the history of bilateral relations with President of the Philippines @bongbongmarcos,” Zelenskyy announced on his official Twitter account.

“Thanked him (Mr. Marcos) for supporting and territorial integrity of Ukraine (flag symbol). We discussed further deepening of cooperation, in

Kerosene down P2.50/l, diesel by P2.20/l today

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE country’s oil firms cut fuel prices by as much as P2.50 per liter effective 6 am Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

The firms cut the price of kerosene by P2.50 per liter and diesel by P2.20 per liter, but did not move gasoline prices.

“PTT Philippines to implement a P2.20 per liter rollback on diesel price effective 6 am Tuesday, February 14, 2023. No movement on gasoline prices,” the company said in its advisory.

particular on international platforms,” the Ukrainian leader added in his tweet, which was liked 3,390 times and viewed 250,000 times as of press time.

The Presidential Communications Office also had yet to issue a statement on the development as of press time, but it marked a breakthrough in Ukraine trying to rally more international support for its cause.

Last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Ukraine must schedule an appointment with President Marcos before a phone conversation with him and Zelensky could push through.

chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments.

“I repeat: In any country, the basic law is the Constitution. Because of this, I will continue the hearings to update our Constitution. My job in the Senate is to benefit our Motherland and inform our people about what we are doing,” Padilla said.

The same was echoed by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez,

“We respect the opinion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on constitutional amendment measures. We will of course consider it. But as an independent branch of government, the House of Representatives and Congress will proceed with its public dialogues on this issue,” he said.

“We laud and commend President Marcos Jr. for trying to entice foreign businessmen in his trips abroad

and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez – who met with Mr. Marcos late in January -- and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Among the priority measures to be passed at the end of the first regular session are the amendments to the BuildOperate-Transfer (BOT) Law/PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) bill, bills to create the Medical Reserve Corps, the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Virology Institute of the Philippines; and a measure reinstating mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and National Service Training Program (NSTP).

The Condonation of Unpaid Amortization and Interests of Loans of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs), Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law, the Attrition bill, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fixed Terms, and the Salt Industry Development Bill are also among the top measures slated for passage this June.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier enumerated the priority bills in his 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA), saying they are essential to the administration’s plans and programs for the country, particularly the eight-point socioeconomic agenda.

Last month, Mr. Marcos discussed at least seven priority measures – including the ratification of a regional trade pact – in a meeting with the top leaders of Congress.

The LEDAC meeting yesterday was presided over by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin at the Premier Guest House in Malacañang Palace.

Also present were LEDAC members Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri

The Palace also noted the LEDAC’s commitment to push for the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade deal.

In meeting the Senate President and House Speaker last month, Mr. Marcos underscored the importance of ratifying the RCEP, a free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Zubiri said the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund was also raised in that meeting, and the President agreed there is no need to rush its passage.

In the LEDAC meeting, Zubiri and Senator Loren Legarda expressed their commitment to jointly defend the ratification of RCEP on the Senate floor.

Zubiri said that RCEP was the “talk of the town” during the Philippine delegation’s meetings with government and business leaders in Tokyo.

President Marcos on Sunday said that the RCEP would be good for the country because of the increased trade that it will bring to different member economies.

The Philippines is the only country among its Southeast Asian neighbors that has not ratified the RCEP.

The Senate has been deliberating on RCEP with hearings currently at the sub-committee level.

Senator Francis Escudero on Monday said the RCEP was not a “red carpet to big markets” such as China, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN.

Martin G. Romualdez turned over to him $100,000 financial assistance for the Turkey earthquake victims from the Speaker’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative.

productive” five-day state visit to Tokyo, Japan.

“It was severe, what happened there was very heavy. They have assisted so many. They have already set up a hospital and they have rescued many already.

They still keep going on.” President Marcos told the members of the Philippine media delegation onboard the presidential flight.

Apart from sending aid to Turkey, the President said the government is also stepping up efforts to help Syria, which was also hit by the massive quake.

Turkey’s Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol on Monday thanked the Philippine government and the Filipino people for sending people and resources to aid his country.

The envoy expressed his country’s gratitude to the Filipino people during simple rites where Speaker Ferdinand

“You know in an event like this, it’s very good to know you have your friends on your side,” said Akyol.

Amid the disaster, Akyol said the people of Turkey is consoled by the fact that the international community has come out really strong to help them, with 99 countries that has offered assistance to date.

“And we have on the ground almost 10,400 rescue workers and of course the Philippines is one of the major contributors. On that note I would like to express my government and my personal heartfelt gratitude to President Marcos, Jr. for his leadership, for his swift instruction for Philippine authorities to get into action,” Akyol said. He pointed out that within 48 hours of the disaster, there was a Philippine search and rescue and medical team of 82 young Filipino “heroes” in Turkey, braving extreme cold to provide assistance.

This was after DFA Undersecre -

tary Carlos Sorreta expressed the government’s displeasure after Denys Mykhailiuk, the chargé d’affaires of the Ukraine Embassy in Malaysia, revealed that Ukraine has yet to receive a response from the Philippines despite having made a formal request since June last year.

“If he wants this to happen, we have to discuss it. These things are arranged, talking points are discussed…It’s not good diplomatic practice to be doing it the way he did,” Sorreta said in a press briefing in January. Vince Lopez

to invest their money in the country. He is our best salesman. But certain restrictive provisions of the Charter could be impeding investments,” Rodriguez added.

He noted that participants in previous hearings have suggested setting up an elected constitutional convention to propose Charter changes.

“The emerging consensus is to relax restrictions on the entry of foreign capital into the country,” Rodriguez said.

Escudero said it was wrong to market the trade pact as some sort of miracle fertilizer that would make Philippine agriculture bloom.

Touted by the administration as the “world’s biggest free trade deal,” the RCEP could make Filipino farmers the biggest losers if it over-promises but underdelivers, as previous treaties have done in the past, the senator said.

To get the full benefits of RCEP, should the Senate ratify it, Escudero said the government should urgently channel the much-needed financing to the beleaguered farm sector.

“If government is raising capital for the Maharlika Investment Fund which can be invested abroad, then why can’t it package financing for a critical domestic sector?” he said.

Furthermore, he warned that RCEP could end up for farmers as another Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or a World Trade Organization (WTO) treaty, the potential of which was not maximized and whose drawbacks were not contained.

He proposed that the administration, which has gone on a full-court press to have the RCEP ratified by the Senate, should package a companion measure that will help Philippine agriculture take advantage of RCEP’s benefits and cushion its harmful effects.

He also said that “RCEF or not,” the government should be investing more funds into agriculture to arrest declining production, tame expensive inputs and improve farmer incomes.

“The best trade deal for farmers is not those that have fancy acronyms but one that would result in farm-level improvements—from new irrigation to good but affordable seeds and fertilizers,” he said.

In addition, he said the Philippine Red Cross has also aided the earthquake victims.

The Turkish government, however, said it would no longer accept a second contingent from the Philippines, since the element of “life-saving time” has already lapsed.

The Philippine contingent is expected to stay in the quake-hit nation for two weeks.

A young boy and a 62-year-old woman were the latest miracle rescues after nearly seven days trapped under the wreckage of collapsed buildings since last Monday’s devastating quake.

Seven-year-old Mustafa was rescued in southeast Turkey’s Hatay province while Nafize Yilmaz was pulled free in Nurdagi, also in Hatay, the Anadolu state news agency reported early Monday. Both had been trapped for 163 hours before their rescue late Sunday.

Turkey’s disaster agency said more than 32,000 people from Turkish organizations were working on search-andrescue efforts, along with 8,294 interna-

Seaoil Philippines, Cleanfuel, Jetti Petroleum, Chevron Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, and PetroGazz issued separate advisories of the latest oil price movement.

This is the second consecutive week of fuel price rollback.

On Feb. 7, the oil companies implemented a P2.10 per liter price rollback for gasoline, diesel by P3, and kerosene by P2.30.

These resulted in a total net increase this year to stand at P5.10 per liter for gasoline, P0.05 per liter for diesel, and P2.25 per liter for kerosene.

Department of Energy director for the Oil Industry Management Bureau Rodela Romero said over the weekend pump prices would likely go down, with diesel and kerosene by more than P2 per liter and gasoline by less than P0.10 per liter.

“Yes [rollback] though it’s only for the four-day trading so the level of the rollback would still depend on Friday [trading results],” Romero said. Romero said world oil prices declined after the US Energy Information Agency recorded an inventory build of 2.4 million barrels.

Fears of a tighter US monetary policy like further interest rates hike also affected world prices.

“These reasons outweighed signs of demand recovery of China,” Romero said.

Bakers...

From A1

he said in a pre-event briefing on the upcoming Bakery Fair on March 2 to 4, 2022 at the World Trade Center.

He said the high prices of sugar, flour and other raw materials for baking made it difficult for bakers to adjust to inflation.

The recent P2 bread hike allowed by the Department of Trade and Industry under the new Suggested Retail Price (SRP) Bulletin is not enough to make up for the increase in manufacturing cost, said Ah.

“But it’s better than nothing. Malaking bagay din sa amin ‘yun (It’s a big deal for us),” he added.

Bakers who are signatory to the agreement with the DTI to produce and sell affordable breads to consumers said their petition was for a P4 adjustment.

“Let us not count logistics or fuel costs. Just allow us to recover our cost on major ingredients,” Ah said.

Based on the new SRP bulletin published on February 8, 2023, the retail price of budget breads Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy pandesal went up by P2 per to P40.50 per loaf and P1.50 to P25 per plastic pack of pandesal.

Meanwhile, Philippine Baking Institute (Philbaking) president Jerry Lao said his group will continue to fight for the balance of P2 increase in budget bread prices.

tional rescuers.

A member of a British search team posted a remarkable video on Twitter on Sunday showing a rescuer crawling down a tunnel created through the rubble to find a Turkish man who had been trapped for five days in Hatay.

Search teams are facing a race against the clock as experts caution that hopes for finding people alive in the debris dim with each passing day.

In the devastated Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter of the quake, excavators dug through mountains of twisted rubble as a rescue team recovered a body from the wreckage.

But in many areas, rescue teams said they lacked sensors and advanced search equipment, leaving them reduced to carefully digging through the rubble with shovels or only their hands.

“If we had this kind of equipment, we would have saved hundreds of lives, if not more,” said Alaa Moubarak, head of civil defense in Jableh, northwest Syria. AFP with Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz

OTS, CAAP eye easing up major airports’ security checks

By Joel E. Zurbano

AVIATION and airport security authorities are mulling the removal of the initial screening sections at major airports in the country for the convenience of air travelers.

The idea was broached after officials of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) met and discussed initiatives to improve security of outlying airports under the supervision of the CAAP.

OTS administrator Undersecretary Ma.O Aplasca sees the “need for enhanced compliance to the National Civil Aviation Security Program requirements which calls for the submission of an Airport Security Program to improve the overall security status of the airports.”

“With this, the OTS is working closely with airport operators to assist them in crafting their respective programs through the Model Airport Security Program. This shall facilitate a faster and effi cient mode of adopting security standards and recommended practices in safeguarding passengers and the airport facilities,” Aplasca said.

The OTS and the CAAP also discussed matters pertaining to the training and certification of CAAP instructors, as well as plans to remove the initial security screening checkpoints based on risk assessment, to streamline processes and make travel more seamless for passengers, in line with the guidance of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

The planned removal of the initial security screening checkpoints were tested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

Among those who attended the meeting were CAAP security and intelligence services (CSIS) assistant director General Ricardo Banayat, chief of security division Ernesto Milo, and technical assistant Paulo John Villar, along with other personnel from the CSIS.

Sara tells LGUs to prioritize investments in education

By Bobby Lagsa

VICE PRESIDENT and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Monday, urged local government leaders to prioritize investments in education for the benefit of the people.

Duterte said local government units (LGUs) now have the administrative autonomy to identify priority programs and are empowered to determine their own economic development under the MandanasGarcia ruling of the Supreme Court.

“It has always been said that education is the greatest equalizer. In education, no one is poor, no one is rich—they are all graduates,” Duterte said in Filipino.

Building classrooms and school infrastructures, recruiting more teachers, institutionalizing the blended learning program, and the use of available tech-

nologies are part of Duterte’s g plans to address the Department of Education’s (DepEd) existing issues.

“There is a need to build, repair, and maintain school infrastructures to accommodate the growing number of learners all over the Philippines. Today, let me take this opportunity to reiterate the urgency of appropriate action and collaboration between the Department of Education stakeholders from the local government units, the private sector, and international partners,” Duterte said.

In her Basic Education Report on January 30, 2023, Duterte said

Senate panel finds out STLs don’t pay taxes

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

DepEd’s latest inventory showed there are 327,851 public school buildings in the country. Out of these school buildings, only 104,536 are in good condition.

“Due to various reasons, there are also 100,072 school buildings that need minor repairs; 89,252 require major repairs, and 21,727 are set for condemnation. Our schools are not calamity-proof,” Duterte said in her report.

The Vice President also cited significant roadblocks to the country’s education infrastructure program, notably earthquakes, typhoons, landslides, flooding, and armed conflicts.

Duterte said the DepEd, the House of Representatives, and the Senate are currently in discussions to update the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.

“DepEd is also reaching out to the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that employees enjoy free health check-ups,” Duterte added.

DOTr has P12.4-b budget for ROW expenditures this year

By Maricel V. Cruz

A CONGRESSMAN on Monday revealed that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has an allocation of P12.4 billion for this year’s right of-way (ROW) expenses arising from the construction of government infrastructure projects.

“The DOTr has a budget of P12.4 billion for right-of-way (ROW) payments this year. This is itemized in the 2023 General Appropriations Law,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said.

Pimentel, a member of the House committee on flagship programs and projects, the ROW payments are in accordance with Article III, Section 9 of the Constitution, which forbids the government from taking private property for public use without just compensation.

The bulk of the ROW payments would go to landowners affected by the 148-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway; the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway; the 11-kilometer LRT Line 1

Cavite Extension; and the 175-hectare

New Zamboanga International Airport, according to Pimentel.

“While these ongoing projects will take several years to complete, they are already stimulating our economy and creating tens of thousands of construction-related jobs that benefit low-income households,” Pimentel noted.

Congress earlier approved on third and final reading a bill that would expedite ROW acquisition, which has been a leading cause of delays in the execution of infrastructure projects.

Under House Bill No. 6571, affected landowners would be offered either current market value or zonal value for their property as determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, whichever is higher.

Landowners would also receive compensation for the cost of replacing structures or improvements on their property, including machinery and loss of income.

Lawyers now have a say in nominations to courts, OMB, LEB

By Rey E. Requejo

LAWYERS can now participate in the vetting process being conducted by the Judicial and Bar Council in the selection of most qualified nominees for positions in the judiciary, the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) and the Legal Education Board (LEB), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said on Monday.

In an advisory, the IBP, the mandatory lawyers’ organization in the country, said the JBC survey is now available at the IBP’s online application called myIBP.

“The JBC survey in the myIBP app is the result of more than a year of collaborative work between the IBP and the JBC,” the advisory read.

“This innovation will greatly i prove the administration of justice in our country

by allowing more lawyers to actively participate in the vetting process of judicial applicants and applicants to positions in the OMB and the LEB,” it added.

The IBP was organized by the SC in 1973. The JBC, on the other hand, was created pursuant to Article VIII, Section 8(5) of the 1987 Constitution which states: “A Judicial and Bar Council is hereby created under the supervision of the Supreme

Court composed of the Chief Justice as ex officio Chairman, the Secretary of Justice, and a representative of the Congress as ex officio Members, a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired Member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector.”

The JBC’s principal function is to nominate appointments to the judiciary, the OMB, and the LEB.

Taguig City o ers TLC park for V-Day

THE Taguig City government on Monday announced the reopening of TLC Village, a park in Barangay Lower Bicutan where families and lovers can celebrate their Valentine’s Day.

The park, according to Mayor Laarni Cayetano, will feature around a million light bulbs using energy-efficient technology to help create the perfect romantic date night with families, friends, and loved ones.

TLC Village, situated along Lak shore Laguna Lake Highway, first opened in late November last year as Christmas by the Lake—a magical outdoor attraction with Instagram-worthy spots, interactive murals, a wide selection of eats, and a whole lot more.

Due to its successful run, all attractions at the Christmas by the Lake are restored at Love at the Park, donning a new look that will be sure to delight visitors.

Cayetano said visitors can enjoy for free

lit-up big love art installations, including the Wall of Roses, a heart tunnel, and a sea of pink and red dandelions among others.

“Taguigueños can also look forward to other attractions such as the Aqua Luna Lights and Sounds Show where spectacular lights will be synchronized to a breathtaking music,” she added.

Perfect spots for that Inst gram-worthy shot can be had at the Interactive Art Murals, while couples can have a romantic walk along the Path of Flowers lined with cherry blossoms.

Date nights with loved ones become even more dreamy when strolling along the boardwalks by the floating nipa huts of Mercado del Lago.

“Your Valentine’s Day gimmicks are on us too, as vendors of roses and sweet treats, and artists doing caricatures will be available at the park on February 14. This could also be the perfect time to have that slow dance with your loved one while being serenaded by various musicians,” Cayetano said. Joel E. Zurbano

SOME authorized agent corporations or STL operators owe the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) about P5 billion in unpaid taxes.

This was unearthed during yesterday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement chaired by Sen. Raffy Tulfo.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla inquired if STL operators paid taxes on their earnings.

PCSO chief of staff lawyer Lyssa Grace Pagano replied that “prior to 2020, it was P5 billion.

On that note, Padilla said the STL operators should not only be charged with civil liability, but also criminally for non-payment of taxes. Padilla stressed that somebody should be held accountable because STL operators might claim went bankrupt to avoid paying taxes.

“They’re doing a hit and run.... after earning millions...They will shut down operations and move to another place and resume their activities,” Padilla surmised.

The senators directed the PCSO officials to submit a list of all STL operators and the names of their officials.

Even PCSO chairman Junie Cua sounded surprised with the discovery on the accountabilities of the STLs, saying he would discuss the matter with the PCSO board.

Tulfo also questioned the PCSO on why STL sales agents called “kabos” have no health benefits.

He said they’re bringing money to the STL operators and yet they were not taken care of.

“When they become sick, who will pay for their treatment? If they grow old, who will take care of them? Where will they get the money?” he asked.

DENR rolls out ‘TRANSFORM’ in Surigao Norte

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched in Surigao del Norte its resilience and sustainability program dubbed “TRANSFORM” (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilient and Sustainable Communities) to boost the delivery of environmental, social, and economic gains for local government units nationwide.

Earlier, the DENR successfully launched TRANSFORM in Ormoc City, Leyte last Jan. 18.

The agency rolled out the project in three Surigao del Norte towns—Malimono, San Francisco and Burgos, deemed worst-hit by typhoon “Odette” in 2021.

In a January 2022 report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, a total of 2,552,312 families across 38 provinces in CARAGA Region were affected just within hours of Odette’s landfall.

These municipalities incurred massive damages in infrastructure, houses and livelihood, and suffered severe and long-term effects.

Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Loyzaga said to engage the whole of society, the DENR has collaborated with the local government units (LGUs), the National Resilience Council, the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Peace and Equity Foundation, the Zuellig Family Foundation and the Energy Development Corp. to undertake Project TRANSFORM.

MASS WEDDING. Cavite City Mayor Denver Chua officiates at a mass wedding for 31 couples on the eve of Valentine’s Day in Chua’s Pavilion in Barangay Dalahican. A similar event is set to take place today in Dasmariñas City to be celebrated by Mayor Jenny Barzaga for some 750 couples. Dennis Abrina

CZECH SOLONS VISIT PH CONGRESS. Philippine legislators led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (center) welcome a Czech Republic delegation headed by Deputy Speaker Jan Skopecek (inset, left) of the Chamber of Deputies Parliament who visited the Philippine House of Representatives on Monday afternoon. Ver Noveno

VALENTINE’S DAY IS FOR EVERYBODY. An elderly couple receives pastillas owers from a little girl dressed as Cupid at the SM City Taytay, Rizal. Norman Cruz

Diokno backs new Customs chief Rubio

By Julito G. Rada

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno has thrown his full support behind Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, the newly-appointed chief of the government’s second-largest tax agency to prioritize digitalization.

"Today, the Department of Finance is honored to welcome the appointment of Mr. Bienvenido Rubio as the new chief of the Bureau of Customs,” Diokno said in a speech delivered by Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin during the ceremonial turnover on Monday, Feb. 13.

“I am confident that Commissioner Rubio will take on this mission with utmost commitment, integrity, and excellence,” he said.

Diokno said modernizing the Customs administration must be a key priority of Rubio, adding that digitalization will be a defining factor in the Marcos administration’s bid to achieve modern governance.

“A digital customs administration allows the government to focus its resources in the identification of higher risk entities, while enhancing the ease of doing business,” Diokno said.

Diokno also expects Rubio will bring in a fresh vision to the Customs bureau.

“As we enter 2023, I trust that Commissioner Rubio will bring in a fresh vision and even loftier targets to move the Bureau closer to the goal of becoming a modern and world-class Customs agency that ranks among the best in the world,” he said.

Rubio is no stranger to customs administration after serving as director of the Port Operations Service of the Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group.

Rubio formally assumed as Customs commissioner in simple turnover rites at the BOC headquarters in Port Area, Manila, replacing Yogi Filemon Ruiz.

Rubio vowed to accomplish President Marcos’ four directives: hit and surpass the revenue target, simplify and secure the facilitation of trade, curb smuggling of any form, and uplift the morale of the men and women of the Bureau.

IN BRIEF

Pope Francis appoints Cebu archbishop to Vatican post

The Archdiocese of Cebu made the announcement over the weekend as it congratulated the prelate for his role in the Roman Curia, GMA News reported.

“Congratulations! The Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed our dear Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma as a member of the Dicastery for Culture and Education - an administrative unit of the Roman Curia,” it said on a Facebook post.

According to the archdiocese, the dicastery was formed through the merger of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education and the former Pontifical Council for Culture wherein the Archbishop was previously a member.

Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça currently heads the dicastery.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) confirmed Palma’s designation in a separate statement, GMA News further reported.

Basilan solon: Add Arabic, Islamic values to lessons

DEPUTY Minority Leader and Basilan Rep.

Mujiv Hataman has filed a bill seeking to mandate the inclusion of Arabic language or Islamic values education in the Philippine basic education system to make it more responsive to the diversity of learning needs of students.

In filing House Bill No. 7130, or the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) Act, Hataman seeks to institutionalize the Department of Education’s current program of the same name, which has been saddled by challenges of implementation and funding. A similar bill has been filed in the Senate by Sen. Win Gatchalian.

“We need to recognize that our diverse cultural and religious backgrounds require a more responsive educational approach, and the ALIVE bill is one way of addressing that for Muslim students to ensure their full participation and the realization of their potential,” Hataman, former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, said.

A NATIONAL Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) doctor on Friday called on for more funding for cancer screening tests in the country.

Dr. Marvin Mendoza, head of the NKTI’s Medical Oncology section, said early detection of cancer could help save more lives. Mendoza said that there are about 27,000 new breast cancer cases detected annually.

“If we have to save more lives, we need more funds from the government not just for treatment but for testing because early diagnosis and treatment is far more effective than treating late-stage disease,” Mendoza said in a report posted on ABS-CBN News Friday.

Even at Stage 4 or when a cancer has metastasized to other organs, whether breast, liver or cervical, the disease is treatable and even more so if diagnosed early, the oncologist said.

The Philippine government provides targeted therapies for 2 types of cancer— breast and lymphoma.

Mendoza said, for breast cancer patients who cannot afford the P300,000 to P450,000 needed to go through the required 18 treatment cycles, they can go to at least 23 public hospitals throughout the country for free treatment. Willie Casas

DOJ: P6m reward in sabungero case

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) is offering a reward of P6 million to those who can help find six suspects involved in the disappearance of “sabungeros” or cockfight enthusiasts. arrest of several individuals that are linked to some of the disappearances.

DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, quoted by an ABS-CBN News report, said “At the moment we continue the manhunt for the six suspects involved in the disappearance of the ‘sabungeros’ and this is why we are offering a P6 million reward to those who will be able to point and tell where the other suspects are hiding.”

Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNPCIDG) chief Brig. General Romeo Caramat meanwhile said the CIDG already has an idea about the mastermind behind the case of the missing “sabungeros.”

“We have an idea but since CIDG is the primary investigating agency of the PNP, we don’t want to file a case that will just be dismissed,” Caramat, quoted by a GMA News report, said, adding that the CIDG “cannot yet divulge the alleged mastermind’s identity.” Caramat added that law enforcement personnel are now concentrating on the

“We believe that these people are the ones who orchestrated all these cases so if we catch them, all the cases that we are investigating will be solved,” he said.

The DOJ earlier filed kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges against six persons allegedly involved in the disappearance of six cockfighting enthusiasts or “sabungeros” in January last year.

DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said the information was filed with the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) against farm manager Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion, and Roberto Matillano Jr. Clavano said the prosecutors also recommended that no bail be set for the respondents.

“All remain at large. The Department of Justice, therefore, encourages law enforcement agencies to keep a look out for these people,” he

said in a message to reporters.

This developed as the Philippine National Police (PNP) asked the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to take down several e-sabong (electronic cockfighting) websites, its spokesperson said Tuesday.

“We have submitted websites… account sites to the DICT and the NTC because they have the authority to take down the websites that we monitored,” PNP spokesman Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in the public briefing. Clavano asked the public or those who know or come to know of the six persons’ whereabouts to inform the proper authorities “so they may be tried for the crimes charged.”

In December 2022, the DOJ found that the six conspired in the kidnapping of John Claude Inonog, James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, and Rowel Gomez.

The sabungeros left Tanay, Rizal at 1 p.m. on January 13, 2022 to go to the Manila Arena but were forced to board a gray

van at around 7:30 p.m. that day.

Meanwhile, according to Fajardo, the PNP also conducted police operations, particularly in Cebu, against e-sabong operations.

“We also arrested some individuals engaged in illegal e-sabong activities. We also confiscated the equipment they were using,” she said.

“We will continue this as part of our intensified campaign against the proliferation of e-sabong activities,” Fajardo added.

In December 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the continued suspension of e-sabong operations nationwide, saying the state is obligated to protect public health and morals and to promote public safety and the general welfare.

The order suspends e-sabong—the live-streaming or broadcasting of live cockfights outside cockpits or cockfighting arenas or premises where cockfights are being held.

The EO also suspends online/remote, or off-cockpit wagering/betting on live cockfighting matches and/or activities streamed or broadcast live, regardless of the location of the betting platform.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Department of Education (DepEd) reported that bullying cases have increased in the last seven years, except during the pandemic. DepEd Asst. Sec. Dexter Galban, during a to Senate hearing on antibullying, said 1,309 bullying cases were reported since RA 10627 or AntiBullying Act of 2013 was passed into law, Galban also told the Senate Committee on Basic Education chaired by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian that the number of cases has been rising until it reached 15,866 during the school year 2017 to 2018. The number of cases rose to 21,521 during the school year 2018 to 2019 which was the highest. However, this went down to 11,637 during the school year 2019 to 2020.

Galban said it is likely that the reported cases of bullying increased since there was a reporting system following the passage of a law to address this crime. There was also a decline in the number of bullying cases due to the pandemic as classes were held online. Based on the reported bullying cases the past seven years, he said 56.79% were physical, 25.43% were social, 5.92% were genderbased,6.03% were cyber bullying and 5.83% was retaliation or revenge.

DepEd: Cases of bullying rise in PH schools Ai-Ai says sorry for ‘disrespect’ against QC Mayor Belmonte

By Rio N. Araja

ACTRESS-comedienne Ai-Ai delas Alas has apologized to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, owning up to her mistake in disrespecting the city government’s official seal.

The city council declared delas Alas and film director Darryl Yap persona non

grata in June 2022 for posting a video in which the actress portrayed a character named Ligaya Delmonte, a parody of the mayor. The triangular seal of Quezon City was also featured at the back of Delas Alas but its physical elements were edited and defaced.

In an interview on Fast Talk With Boy

Abunda, she said did not mean to offend Belmonte, and that she was only acting out what was told by the director.

“I did that as an artist. They were the ones who did the script, the director and they, I am just an artist,” she said.

“Since she got offended, I am sorry, Mayor for hurting you. I am just an actress,” she said.

Galban said the number of cyberbullying and gender-based bullying increased. He also said there were several cases of unreported bullying incidents due to the lack of guidance counselors.

Gatchalian earlier express alarm over the supposed unreported bullying cases in schools. He also noted the discrepancies between data from the DepEd and several studies and reports.

He also has misgivings on the education department’s figures as he pointed out by study from the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEAPLM) showed that 63% of Grade 5 students experienced bullying, the highest in the region.

He also mentioned the study of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which reported that 40% of Filipino students are frequently bullied.

He emphasized these figures are consistent with the World Health Organization (WHO) report, which showed that 40.6% of children aged 13 to 17 experience some form of bullying.

“This is quite worrisome and concerning because the percentage showed that six out of ten students have experienced some form of bullying,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said this means that there are a lot of unreported bullying cases. In large-scale examinations, he said students “tell the truth” because they know that the evaluation will be processed by people who are not connected to their schools.

Court convicts two of homicide in 2019 Tagaytay road rage incident

TWO persons were convicted in connection with the death of a veterinarian during a road rage incident in Tagaytay City in 2019.

Gilbert Gatpandan and Laurence Arroyo were found guilty of homicide for the death of Teddy Senen Tanchanco, Tagaytay Regional Trial Court Branch 133 Judge Gian Enrico Navarro said in a 10-page decision promulgated on Thursday.

Gatpandan was sentenced to up to eight years in prison. Arroyo was meted with a prison term of six to 10 years.

The two were ordered to pay P50,000 in civil indemnity, P50,000 in moral damage and P503,469.76 in actual damage.

In his judicial affidavit, Gatpandan claimed that he was in a car driven by Arroyo when the Toyota Innova of the victim overtook and clipped their vehicle.

“bare claims” that the first punch was made in self-defense. The court said there was likewise no evidence that Tanchanco’s vehicle clipped

claim... cannot

FOR VALENTINE’S DAY. An employee of Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT1) offers flowers to passengers on the eve of Valentine’s Day inside the LRT Central Station in Manila. Norman Cruz.

BAKERY FAIR 2023. Filipino Chinese Bakery Association, Inc. (FCBAI) president Gerik Chua and other officers announced that the much-awaited “Bakery Fair 2023”  will be held on March 2, 3, and 4, 2023 at the World Trade Center. The return of the bakery fair after the COVID-19 pandemic signals the revival of the baking industry. (See story on A1). Manny Palmero

GUILTY OF HOMICIDE. Laurence Arroyo (left) and Gilbert Gatpandan (center) were convicted of homicide for the death of veterinarian Teddy Senen Tanchanco (right), Tagaytay Regional Trial Court Branch 133 Judge Gian Enrico Navarro said in a 10-page decision promulgated on Thursday.

There can only be one Bobby Ongpin

known premier soccer leagues would come, he said in fact he already made arrangements with them.

Ongpin believed that soccer should be the No. 1 sport in the Philippines, instead of basketball, since soccer does not need height which basketball needs.

The late legendary Pele of Brazil was 5 feet and 7 ¾ inches tall and the now legendary Messi of Argentina is only 5 feet 6 inches tall.

The dream is on P

THERE are many stories about Robert “Bobby” Velayo Ongpin, the tycoon, billionaire, technocrat, international businessman, visionary and former Minister of Trade and Industry of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

But, as to tributes to his many successes, they are all written in the many columns that appeared in the pages of the country’s mainstream media and obituaries contributed by companies like San Miguel Corporation and its subsidiaries where he worked as a director.

An obituary was also given by Philex Mining Corporation where he was once a big stockholder and the internationally known auditing firm, SGV (Sycip, Gorres and Velayo) where Ongpin was a managing partner after he was Finance Secretary.

Ongpin was then the youngest ever to hold that position after he finished his post graduate course in Business Administration at Harvard University.

A story is told in the book of Washington Sycip, one of the co-founders of SGV, that when Wash was interviewing RVO, as he was called by associates and those who worked with him, the young Ongpin pointed to the chair of Wash and said “How long will it take me to be in that chair?”

Well, Santa Banana, soon after, when Cesar Virata became finance minister of the late elder Marcos, and also the latter’s prime Minister, Ongpin was called to Malacanang to be Minister of Trade and Industry in 1979.

Quoting Onpin, he once told an interviewer “when the President tells you to serve, you say yes.”

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is back from a five-day official visit to Japan, exultant as he brought home $13 billion worth of pledges and investments anticipated to create over 24,000 jobs and help strengthen the country’s economic environment.

I believe Bobby.

Actually, Bobby did not have any unfinished projects, so to speak, before he died.

When he thought of a project, he pursued it to its end.

Santa Banana, he even had a special spa built at the Alphaland Mountain Lodges in Baguio for the benefit of those who bought lodges and their guests, the only one of its kind in the summer capital of Baguio.

When I asked Bobby what is next in his agenda, he answered “Just wait.”

For that was Bobby, the one and only tycoon, technocrat, international businessman and visionary, the one and only Bobby Ongpin.

Ongpin, as this column goes to press, will already have been buried in his beloved Balesin, cradled in its arms when he died and now cradled still in the arms of his Beloved Balesin.

Members and guests of Balesin should have no worry about this island paradise club not maintaining what the founder of Alphaland Bobby Ongpin had done, since Alphaland President Rodolfo Ma. Ponferrada is a very hands on and a very able executive.

Actually, this is already his second stint at Alphaland as President. Met him once and I believe he will continue all the good things Ogpin has done.

Not only that , the Board of Directors of Alphaland is composed of well-known businessmen. *** *** ***

Senator Robin Padilla has filed a resolution seeking to convene the Senate and House of Representatives into a Constituent Assembly to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution and make the present economic provisions of the charter compliant to the present time.

Padilla is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes.

This means that opponents of charter change can no longer stop the amendments of the 1987 charter because the two chambers of Congress have started the wheels of charter change rolling.

The House amendment of the charter is being pushed by Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and was passed by the House panel.

Under the Senate resolution under the constituent assembly, the two chambers of Congress will vote separately by three fourths of its house.

It was in 1983 when he made history by creating the Binondo Central Bank that saved the country from economic collapse.

On this occasion alone, Ongpin should be written as “the man that made history by creating the Binondo Central Bank.”

There are other unwritten stories about Bobby Ongpin when he was director of the firm that founded the well-known Tagaytay Highlands in Tagaytay.

But, when he was absent one time from a board meeting of the firm, business partner Willy Ocier ousted him from the board.

Ocier was the son of one of the exchange dealers of the Binondo Central Bank, which was then composed of seven foreign exchange dealers gathered by Ongpin to deal in foreign exchange, which saved the country from utter collapse.

Under Ongpin, the Binondo Central Bank sold foreign exchange only to the government to meet its foreign obligations and to import the country’s imperative needs.

Truly, Bobby was known for the many successes he did, much more than his few failures, according to Ongpin himself.

RVO’s debt-free Alphaland Corp. is expanding into a nearby 732-ha Patnunangan Island, to be called Balesin International Gateway, which Bobby was expecting to be completely finished before the yearend.

It will be a resort complex with fresh water, five 5-star hotels, an 18-hole golf course, and 1,834 luxury beach and golf course homes.

Bobby’s idea: Attract the world’s high networth individuals to enjoy the most unique beach resort and nature enclave for members and guests.

I once asked Bobby in my many one-onone conversations where he gets all his ideas and he did not answer, but simply smiled meaningfully. For that’s what Bobby was, always dreaming big.

To complement members and guests of Balesin, he has bought more Cessna planes for the benefit of members and guests, and a hydrofoil jet boat, which was scheduled to arrive in one week’s time from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, where it was brought by a vessel.

It will be a first in Philippine waters. For that’s what Ongpin is all about, always thinking big.

In fact, another big project of Ongpin is to attract premier soccer big league teams to go to Balesin when it is winter in the United States and Europe.. And for this, Ongpin has built an artificial grass football field in Balesin which is now ready.

In fact, soccer teams from Laguna are already playing in the Balesin Football field which has artificial grass, plus amenities like a grandstand under it, complete with a dormitory for players.

Give it to Ongpin, he always thought of everything. When I asked him why he thinks the well-

In the House, Speaker Martin Romualdez had cited four revisions in the 1987 charter -- Foreign equity limitations; Discriminatory screening or approval mechanisms; Restrictions on the employment of foreigners as key personnel; and other operational restrictions, all of which have hindered the economy.

For his part, Senator Padilla wants the Philippines to accelerate economic growth and fulfill its economic commitment by removing, Santa Banana, restrictive economic provisions to allow foreign businessmen to invest in a more conducive landscape.

Data and studies have shown the Philippines is the third most restrictive out of 84 countries, ranked by the OECD’s FDI regulatory restrictiveness index. I believe that with both chambers of Congress now ready to amend the 1987 charter, it’s a go-signal for charter change.

For these reasons there’s imperative need to update the 1987 charter to erase the fact that the Philippine charter has become repressive and a big hindrance to the entry of foreign investments.

By Honor Blanco Cabie

the country facing shortage in many basic dining table items like onions and garlic, many have started looking at Ilocos Norte, the president’s home province, to supply the market with at least this “white gold.” Agriculture experts have called garlic, a plant in the Allium sativum (onion) family, “white gold” not just for its nutritional value but also for its healthy benefits: it is a panacea for the heart and the stomach and has also antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Garlic inhibits and destroys bacteria, fungus, and parasites, as well as lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels, preventing blood clotting and protecting the liver, according to experts.

It is closely related to onions, shallots, and leeks. Each segment of a garlic bulb is called a clove, with about 10-20 cloves in a single bulb, give or take.

In recent months, the Department of Agriculture reported a shortage in garlic supply in the country, saying for 2022, the agency expected at least a 63,000 metric ton deficit in the commodity.

During a hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, the DA said the country’s total garlic supply for 2022 was pegged at 82,950 metric tons.

Experts have said the country has been heavily dependent on garlic imports to meet local demand. For the first quarter of 2022, total garlic supply was 27,912 metric tons against total

The ninth country he has visited since his inauguration on June 30, 2022 has given the 65-year-old leader an opportunity to renew the partnership between Manila and Tokyo and a stronger cooperation with the global community. During his visit, the President had an audience with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako and met up with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida when they mapped out a “transformative, future-oriented partnership responsive to new developments.”

He also witnessed the signing of seven major accords that include a 337 billion yen ($3 billion) infrastructure loan agreement.

A total 35 investment agreements on areas of cooperation were sealed between the Philippines and Japan on Friday, witnessed by President Marcos and his official delegation. Apart from the 35 investment deals, the Philippines also sealed bilateral pacts with Japan to boost cooperation in fields, including infrastructure development, defense, agriculture, as well as information and communications technology.

A total of 35 investment agreements on areas of cooperation were sealed between the Philippines and Japan on Friday, witnessed by President Marcos and his official delegation

In an interview in Tokyo, the President underlined the importance of his visit he described as “really setting down the blueprint for our relations as we slowly emerge from the pandemic economy,” adding the effects of his trip, particularly the agreements, will be felt

Loving the poor not terrorism

ON JANUARY January 30, 2023, the AntiTerrorism Council (ATC) officially designated Natividad Castro or Dr. Naty, a community doctor and health worker, a terrorist.

According to ATC’s Resolution 35, “Verified information, sworn statements, and other evidence gathered by Philippine law enforcement and security agencies, affirmed that [Castro] violated Sections 6, 10, and 12 of the [Anti-Terrorism Act].”

The ATC stated Dr. Naty participated in the planning, training, preparing, and facilitating “the commission of terrorism and recruitment” to support alleged terrorist organizations. ATC asserted Dr. Naty’s supposed involvement with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army (CPP-NDF-NPA). Allegedly, Dr. Naty has an “active role” in achieving the objectives of said group, is a member of its central committee, and manages its funds.

This is a dangerous allegation as we know that red-tagging concretely risks people’s lives.

However, this was not the first time the state has attacked Dr. Naty. Just last February 2022, she was arrested by the San Juan City police from their home. The warrant of arrest was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.

According to the PNP, the doctor’s arrest was based on the case of kidnapping with serious illegal detention charged against her.

The PNP also carelessly tagged Dr. Naty as an alleged central committee member of the CPP-NPA as well as the alleged head of its National Health Bureau. She was detained for more than a month before she was released. While the doctor is not new to being endangered because of red-tagging, why is she being red-tagged in the first place?

Dr. Naty is a community doctor, a public health practitioner, and a human rights worker. She worked as a doctor at the CommunityBased Health Program-Butuan Incorporated (CBHP) which aims to serve rural and urban poor areas through health programs from NGOs.

Dr. Naty has served poor Agusan communities in Mindanao for more than two decades. She made sure to go to isolated areas and provide her service.

More so, Dr. Naty is also known as a development worker and human rights defender as she was the secretary-general of Karapatan Caraga and fought against development aggression targeting the Lumad communities.

Looking at what Dr. Naty has dedicated her life to, we must realize that she does not only provide service or defense to the communities she works with.

This Valentine’s Day, we must remember that loving and serving the people is not terrorism

She gives them care, care that undoubtedly strengthens communities. To nurture, tend to, and care for the most remote communities is a generous decision.

However, the state has decided to arrest her last year and designate her as a terrorist now.

This begs the question then, what is a terrorist?

Objectively, a terrorist is a person who uses violence, mostly against civilians, to cause fear and to achieve a political goal.

Simply looking at its root word, a terrorist incites terror, a crippling fear in a wide audience.

If we look at Dr. Naty, she is the complete opposite of a terrorist.

Instead of inciting terror, she inspires care in communities; instead of fighting against them, she fights with them.

How can a public healthcare worker and a human rights defender be a terrorist when

“very, very soon, very rapidly back home in the Philippines.”

The visit also enabled President Marcos to meet up with the Filipino community at the Belle Salle Tokyo Nihonbashi, where he praised Overseas Filipino Workers for their hard work, diligence and for putting the Philippne image in the global radar screen.

According to the President, the remittances of OFWs play a huge part in keeping the Philippine economy afloat, adding “in times of hardships, we rely on the remittances you send...your sacrifice of working abroad is not only for the benefit of your family, but also of the whole country.”

The chief executive gave assurances of continued support through the Department of Migrant Workers led by Secretary Susan Ople.

To date, there are nearly two million OFWs after 2.24 million were repatriated in June last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, of whom 1.4 million were land-based workers and roughly 808,000 were sea-based. The President reassured OFWs the government is boosting the quality of jobs so that time will come when Filipinos would no longer have to go abroad out of necessity.

The President said: “And my dream really is for us to say that there are enough jobs in the Philippines, and that an OFW will only go abroad to work because he/she wants to, not because he/she has to, because there are enough jobs and life is good in our country. “That is our dream, that is what we are aiming for the country.”

these labels and identities beg them to serve the people?

How come that the state is calling someone who has attended to the most neglected, the ones who are not able to access healthcare, a terrorist?

As we know, red-tagging is unfortunately a common practice in the Philippines.

In fact, it is so prevalent that we’ve coined a specific term for it.

And most often than not, the practice targets those who choose to serve the marginalized and engage in activism to achieve a more just society.

We have seen this countless of times, whether you’re a human rights worker, an alternative media outlet, a student leader, an artists’ collective, a people’s lawyer, a community doctor, demonstrating care for the people triggers the authorities to call you a terrorist.

This designation though says more about the red-taggers’ values than the red-tagged.

If those who have been officiated to serve the general public see the exercise of care as a threat, what does that say about them?

Red-tagging must not be taken lightly as it has already compromised many people in the past.

Many who had care at the core of their mission, of their being, have been tortured and killed because of this practice.

In a country where the blood of those who serve are shed, the semantics matter largely.

This Valentine’s Day, we must remember that loving and serving the people is not terrorism.

Care does not equate to terror.

Dr. Naty is not a terrorist, and we stand with her.

We stand with everyone who is fighting the good fight. After all, the greatest love of all is built on care.

Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Addressing the garlic shortage

demand of 37,331 MT. Of the total supply, 23,141 MT were imported while only 4,971 MT were locally sourced.

Authorities have referred to House Bill 4337 approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and Food, which declared Ilocos Norte in the country’s far northwest as Garlic capital of the Philippines. The country, a basically agricultural economy imports most of its garlic supply from China, india and the United States, with 143,167 shipments followed by Vietnam with 21,255 and United Arab Emirates at the 3rd spot with 20,895 shipments. Sometime back, before the claws of the coronavirus pandemic bruised the different layers of Philippine society, in the small agricultural town of Pinili in Ilocos Norte, garlic stalls were a sight that in summer daily jabbed the eyes of passing-by local and foreign tourists.

It was understandable since the town, where local Sandataan guerrillas of the Batac-born rebel Catholic priest Gregorio Aglipay, had been assigned earlier as the garlic producer of Ilocos Norte under the national government’s One Town One Product program – which originated from Japan’s One Village, One Product agenda— launched in 2002.

Fact was, there was a Bawang center in Barangay Darat, west of the town proper sliced by the MacArthur Highway that meanders through the Ilocos Region down to Central Luzon and farther down to Metro Manila for a total 457 kilometers.

Before the pandemic in March 2020, the town had an annual income that ranged from P40,000 to P60,000, which went on a nosedive during

the lockdown to P10,000 or less per annum, according to Mavi Keroll Barolo Cercado, the town’s municipal accountant and head of Pinili’s Tourism Office. By 2016, Cercado says the Bawang Center “was converted to Pinili Tourist Center by then Gov. Imee Marcos.”

Eventually, her son Gov. Matthew Manotoc led the opening of the repurposed Tourist Center as a temporary location of Ilocos Norte South Triage Center as it opened its borders to tourists and also as a Rapid Antigen Testing Facility since October 1, 2020.

To date, there is no other Bawang Center in town but there are Bawang Stalls lined up along the Highway of Darat near the Pinili Visitor Center, a tribute to the industry and tenacity

of Piniliños who previously had Virginia— recognized for its bright yellow color—and Burley—a light air-cured tobacco used primarily for cigarette production—as their cash crops from the 1950s to the millennium rollover with the launching of the garlic product, known in the Ilocos as the “while gold” – from the color of the head or knob.

The Pinili Visitor Center was opened to, among others, pay tribute to abel weavers in Ilocos Norte and the town’s nationally recognized Living Treasure or Manlilikha ng Bayan Magdalena Gamayo from the far-flung Barangay Lumbaan-Bicbica, some 10.6 kms due east from the town proper.

The town, before the pandemic, also had the Pinili Bawang Festival, celebrated as tribute to the hardworking farmers in the community, scorched by the Ilocos sun in summer and drenched by the monsoon during the rainy season, who mainly cultivate garlic, with the flue-curing barns for the tobacco leaves steadily waving farewell.

The Ilocos, a narrow strip of land that stretches from Pagudpud, the northernmost town of Ilocos down to Ilocos Sur, La Union and Villasis town in Pangasinan before San Manuel in Tarlac, is the largest garlic-producing region in the Philippines, contributing more than 65 percent to the country’s total production.

Agriculturists say the region has the best comparative advantage in garlic production because of its agro climatic suitability.

(The author comes from the garlic-producing town of Pinili, Ilocos Norte assigned to produce the “white gold” under the government’s One Town One Product Program.)

There’s imperative need to update the 1987 charter to erase the fact that the Philippine charter has become repressive and a big hindrance to the entry of foreign investments

Assad to mull more crossings for quake aid

DAMASCUS — The World Health Organization chief said Sunday that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad had voiced openness to more border crossings for aid to be brought to quake victims in the country’s rebel-held northwest.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with the Syrian president in Damascus on Sunday afternoon to discuss the response to the devastating earthquake which has killed more than 33,000 people across Syria and Turkey.

Concerns have been running particularly high for how aid might reach all those in need in Syria, which has been devastated by more than a decade of civil war.

“The compounding crises of conflict, Covid, cholera, economic decline and now the earthquake have taken an unbearable toll,” Tedros said after visiting Aleppo and witnessing the devastation first hand.

He said he was “waiting to move across lines to the northwest, where we’ve been told the impact is even worse”.

The situation is particularly dire in the rebel-held area in the northwest, which cannot receive aid convoys from government-held parts of the country without Damascus’s authorization.

The single border crossing open to shuttle aid from Turkey also saw its operations disrupted by the quake.

Some pre-positioned aid has been delivered, and convoys began rolling through the border crossing again on Thursday, but there have been mounting calls to open more crossings to speed up the aid delivery.

“This afternoon I met with His Excellency President Assad, who indicated he was open to considering additional crossborder access points for this emergency,” Tedros told a virtual press conference from the Syrian capital.

- ‘Massive access’ neededHumanitarian aid in rebel-held areas usually arrives through Turkey via a cross-border mechanism created in 2014 by a UN Security Council resolution.

But it has long been contested by Damascus and its ally Moscow, who see it as a violation of Syrian sovereignty.

Under pressure from Russia and China, the number of crossing points has been reduced over time from four to one.

Equally vital for Syria’s quake-hit northwest is speeding up aid from within the country. AFP

Flights grounded, power cut as storm lashes New Zealand

WELLINGTON — Tens of thousands of homes in New Zealand were without power and hundreds of flights were cancelled Monday as a tropical storm lashed the north of the country.

A state of emergency was declared in five regions on the North Island, covering almost one-third of New Zealand’s entire population of 5.1 million.

Although the storm was downgraded from a cyclone before it made landfall, high winds and torrential rains have already toppled trees, damaged roads, and downed power lines.

Wellington-based Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was among thousands stuck in the northern city of Auckland after the wild weather grounded flights.

“Things will get worse before they get better,” Hipkins told New Zealanders in a press conference Monday, calling for them to “be prepared, stay inside if you can”.

He said the government had considered declaring a national state of emergency for only the third time in the country’s history — but it was not yet necessary.

The government announced an aid package

PORTUGUESE CATHOLIC CLERGY ACCUSED

of 11.5 million New Zealand dollars ($7.25 million) to help recovery efforts.

Police said one person was missing aboard a boat, which issued a distress call early Monday near Great Barrier Island, north of Auckland.

Winds of up to 140 kilometres (87 miles) per hour battered the Northland region, while Auckland’s harbour bridge was rocked by gusts of 110 kph.

About 58,000 people were without power on Monday afternoon, according to Roger Ball, head of the national emergency management agency.

Emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty said Monday would be a difficult day due to the “highly dangerous” combination of high winds and heavy rain.

McAnulty added that it was “unsafe” to try and repair the network while the dangerous weather continued.

Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city and home to 1.6 million people, is still recovering after flash floods in late January forced thousands from their homes and resulted in four deaths. AFP

Child sex abuse report unsealed

LISBON — An independent inquiry into child sex abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic clergy since 1950 is due to publish its conclusions on Monday after recording hundreds of victim accounts.

Thousands of reports of pedophilia within the Catholic Church have surfaced around the world and Pope Francis is under pressure to tackle the scandal.

The Portuguese inquiry, commissioned by the country’s Church, is to present its findings to the media in the morning. The head of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, Bishop Jose Ornelas, will respond later in the day.

In October, the team of six experts said it had recorded 424 legitimate accounts from presumed victims. Their testimony indicated the total number of victims was “much larger”, it said.

The accounts revealed “serious situations which persisted for decades ... and in some cases reached epidemic proportions”, it said at the time.

With hindsight the abuse was evident, it added.

The time limit for bringing charges has already expired for the vast majority of alleged offences. But around 20 cases have been passed to police and several inquiries have already been opened.

One of these rare cases concerns “Alexandra”, a 43-year-old woman who has requested anonymity. She alleges she was raped by a priest during confession when she was a 17-year-old novice nun.

- ‘Ignored and sickened’ -

“It’s very hard to talk about these things in Portugal”, a country where 80 percent of people say they are Catholic, said Alexandra, who is now a mother, trained in IT and works as a kitchen helper.

“I kept it secret for many years but it became more and more difficult to cope with it alone,” she told AFP in a

telephone interview.

She eventually reported her attacker to the Church authorities but said she was “ignored”. The bishop in charge did nothing other than pass on her complaint to the Vatican, which has still not responded.

Three years on, she says she has found in the independent commission an understanding ear and the psychological support she needs.

In April last year, Manuel Clemente, the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon and the highest-ranking prelate in Portugal, said he was prepared to “recognize the errors of the past” and ask the victims for “forgiveness”.

Lisbon, Americo Aguiar, said recently. Faced with thousands of cases of clergy sex abuse that have come to light around the world and the accusations of cover-ups, the pontiff promised in 2019 to root out paedophilia within the Church.

He is under pressure to tackle the scandal and investigations have been launched in several countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

“Bishops asking forgiveness doesn’t mean anything to me. We don’t know if they mean it,” retorted Alexandra, who said she felt “sickened” by the Church and its cover-ups of sexual abuse.

- ‘Rid the Church of this scourge’ -

Pope Francis, who is to visit Lisbon in August, may meet some of the alleged victims, the Auxiliary Bishop of

PARACHUTE DRILL.

A Pakistan’s Special Service Group (SSG) naval paratrooper takes part in the annual joint naval operation exercise ‘Aman’ in the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi on February 12. AFP

Scholz, Social Democrats suffer blow with Berlin election loss

Olaf

Social Democrats

a heavy setback in a regional poll in Berlin on Sunday, falling behind the opposition conservatives in the capital for the first time in over two decades.

While the Berlin vote turned on local issues, the disappointing loss comes as Scholz faces widespread criticism for his hesitant military support for Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion last year.

In a court-ordered rerun of the election in 2021, the chancellor’s party slipped to their worst postwar result

in the capital, where they have held the mayor’s office since 2001.

The conservative CDU, in opposition in the city and in the federal parliament, surged to around 28 percent, up from 18 percent.

Berlin, one of the country’s 16 federal states, was ordered by courts to return to the ballot boxes after the 2021 election was found not to meet basic democratic standards amid widespread voting issues.

- Coalition troubleThe outcome of the rerun puts a question mark over

the continuation of the coalition between the Social Democrats, Greens and far-left Linke party.

“If we have an opportunity for an SPD-led government, then we will try to organise a stable majority for it,” incumbent Social Democrat Mayor Franziska Giffey told ZDF after the first estimates.

But early figures suggested her junior coalition partner the Greens could finish ahead of the Social Democrats with around 18.5 percent of the vote. The Linke party’s share of the vote was meanwhile estimated at around 13 percent. AFP

Christodoulides, former top diplomat, elected youngest president of Cyprus

NICOSIA Former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides was on Sunday elected president of the Republic of Cyprus, becoming at 49 the youngest leader of the divided Mediterranean island nation.

The seasoned politician gained 51.92 percent of the vote in a run-off Sunday, closely beating out communist-backed career diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis who took 48.08 percent of ballots.

Widely tapped as a favourite even before last Sunday’s first round of voting, he is seen as an independent backed by centrist parties that take a hard line on moribund UN-backed talks on ending the island’s decades-old division.

His candidature sparked a schism within the conservative ruling DISY party, whose candidate Averof Neofytou was booted out of the race after coming in third place in the first round -- a first in the party’s history.

It is the first time a president has been elected without the support of the two largest parties, DISY and the communist AKEL, and after his victory was announced, Christodoulides said he wanted to meet

with the leaders of both.

“The need to form a government of broad social acceptance was not a pre-election slogan, it was something that we will implement in practice”, Christodoulides said.

He will take up his post on March 1.

- Hawkish on peace talksChristodoulides served as government spokesman then foreign minister under outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades, but quit as minister last June to enter the race.

Christodoulides later found himself in the uncomfortable position of wooing votes from DISY, after Neofytou failed to make the run-off.

DISY would usually be expected to urge its supporters to vote against a communist-backed candidate, but Christodoulides is despised by many in the party as a “traitor” who put personal ambition over the interests of the party and the island.

With a doctorate in political science from the University of Athens, the career politician has also studied in Malta and New York. AFP

Portugal’s bishops will convene in March to draw conclusions from the independent report and “rid the Church of this scourge as much as possible”, Father Manuel Barbosa, a senior member of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, said in January.

For Alexandra, who is anticipating the bishops’ response with a mix of hope and skepticism, the independent commission represents “a good first step” for victims who want to “break the wall of silence” that has surrounded them for so long. AFP

Israeli air strike hits Hamas site in Gaza: military

GAZA CITY — Israel hit Gaza with air strikes on Monday in response to a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave at the weekend, the army said, as unrest persisted in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said one person was killed in a predawn Israeli army raid in Nablus in the northern West Bank, the scene of near-relentless violence over the past year.

The army did not immediately comment on the Nablus raid.

But in Gaza, it said it had struck “an underground complex containing raw materials used for the manufacturing of rockets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation”. The strikes were launched “in response to the Saturday rocket launch from Gaza into Israel”, the army added in a statement.

Following the Israeli strikes, air raid sirens sounded in communities near the Gaza border, the military said.

There were no reported casualties in Gaza or Israel following the latest round of missile fire.

But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is enduring a dramatic increase in violence.

Since the start of the year, the conflict has claimed the lives of 47 Palestinian adults and children, including militants and civilians, following the latest death in Nablus.

Nine Israeli civilians, including three children, and one Ukrainian civilian have been killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources from both sides.

In a move likely to inflame tensions, Israel’s security cabinet late Saturday announced it would legalise nine West Bank Jewish settlements in response to fatal Palestinian attacks in annexed east Jerusalem.

A security cabinet statement said many of the newly authorised communities had existed for years, and others for decades, but had not previously been recognised as legitimate by Israel’s government.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.

Some 475,000 Jewish settlers now live in the Palestinian territory, in communities considered illegal under international law.

Most of that population is in settlements that Israel has unilaterally authorised, but some live in communities that have not been given government authorisation.

The security cabinet also said it intended to announce a new round of settler housing construction in the West Bank, a step likely to draw widespread international condemnation. AFP

BERLIN German Chancellor

Scholz’s

suffered

BATTERED HOME. A general view of a damaged house after a storm battered Titirangi, a suburb of New Zealand’s West Auckland area, on February 13. Thousands of homes in New Zealand were without power and flights were grounded Monday as a tropical storm lashed the north of the country. AFP

Bangko Sentral likely to raise rate by 50 bps—Moody’s unit

By Julito G. Rada

MOODY’S Analytics, a unit of Moody’s Corp., said Monday it expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to raise the policy interest rate by another 50 basis points to 6 percent on Thursday to rein in inflation that hit a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January 2023.

“Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will be aggressive in tackling inflation early in 2023. We look for the policy rate to increase by 50 basis points to 6 percent. This will bring cumulative rate hikes since the tightening cycle began in June 2022 to 335 basis points,” Moody’s Analytics said in a report.

It said odds are high that the monetary policy tightening cycle would run longer in the Philippines than elsewhere in Asia given the stubbornly elevated inflation in the country.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., earlier said the BSP could match any fu-

ture policy rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve beyond this week’s meeting to support the peso and contain inflation.

Ricafort said in a report he was expecting the BSP to increase the policy interest rate by at least 25 basis points to 5.75 percent this week.

“The markets are anticipating the next local policy rate-setting meeting on Feb. 16, 2023, when local policy rates are expected to go up by at least +0.25 [from the current 5.50 percent], matching the +0.25 latest Fed rate hike on Feb. 1, 2023,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort said the BSP “could also still match any future Fed rate hikes after recent

Fed signals of about two more hikes on the next Fed/FOMC rate-setting meetings on March 22 and May 2, 2023.”

He said one of the recent policy signals relevant for 2023 was the earlier statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the government might have to defend the peso in the coming months and use interest rates to mitigate inflation.

The peso breached the 53-per-dollar level on Feb. 2, 2023, the first time since June 2022, as it recovered from an alltime low of 59.0 in October. It closed at 54.76 against the greenback Monday.

The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point earlier, and even hinted at possible increases going forward.

Economists from the First Metro Investment Corp. and University of Asia & the Pacific said in their latest joint report the Fed “will continue to raise policy rates, by at least 75 basis points in 2023, to bring inflation back to its target 2 percent in the light of unrelenting job creation in the U.S. economy.”

Two industry groups reported 42% growth in vehicle sales in January

By Othel V. Campos

THE local automotive industry sustained its growth this year with a 42.1-percent increase in January sales to 29,499 from 20,765 units in the same month in 2022.

A joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association showed the industry’s sustained rebound from the impact of the pandemic.

CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the double-digit sales growth in Janu-

ary, following a robust performance in 2022, “is a good development momentum for the auto industry as we start the year.”

“The auto industry is optimistic of its continued expansion from the demandside standpoint driven by the growing domestic consumer market. On the other hand, the supply-side challenges are also an important factor that the industry is mindful of as this may hamper the industry growth,” he said.

Passenger car sales grew by 25.44 percent in January to 7,506 from 5,784 units in the same month last year, while

commercial vehicle sales surged 74.56 percent to 21,993 from 14,981 units. Data showed that on a month-onmonth basis, sales in January were down by 20.8 percent from 37,259 units in December sales because of the seasonal factor. Passenger car sales went down by 12.86 percent from 8,614 units while commercial vehicle sales decreased 23.2 percent from 28,645 units.

Toyota Motor Philippines remained the market leader with 45.52-percent market share in January, followed by Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp.

Globe sells 578 towers to Phil-Tower for P8.6b

GLOBE, the country’s leading solutions platform, said Monday it sold 578 towers to Phil-Tower Consortium Inc. for P8.6 billion.

The telecom unit of the Ayala Group said 578 of its 1,350 towers had been transferred to PhilTower.

“We are very pleased with the progress we have made with our landmark tower sale initiative. This new milestone of transferring nearly half of the Towers we sold to PhilTower last September provides us much-needed financial flexibility, especially in the current macroeconomic backdrop of high inflation and increasing interest rate environment,” Globe chief finance officer Rizza Maniego-Eala said. Globe and PhilTower on Sept. 22, 2022 signed an agreement for the sale of 1,350 telecommunication towers and related passive infrastructure for about P20 billion.

The towers, which consist of 92 percent ground-based and 8 percent rooftop towers mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao, will be leased back to Globe for an initial period of 15 years. Globe has already completed 42 percent of the sale, with 2,988 of the 7,059 towers transferred to the tower companies. Globe raised P39 billion so far. Darwin G. Amojelar CNPF brings unMeat to the US market

CENTURY Pacific Food Inc. said Monday it started distributing plant-based brand unMeat in the United States via Walmart.

CNPF said in a stock exchange filing that since January, its ‘unMEAT Meat-Free Luncheon Meat-Style’ product has been available in more than 2,000 Walmart stores across the US.

“This vote of confidence from Walmart affirms that we are heading in the right direction with respect to our plant-based business. We believe in the long-term potential of plantbased alternatives, and brands like ‘unMEAT’ have a role to play to sustainably address the food requirements of an increasingly growing global population,” said CNPF chief operating officer Greg Banzon.

CNPF’s ‘unMEAT’ is also being distributed in the United Arab Emirates, China, Australia and Singapore.

“Consumers are looking for healthier and better-for-the-planet food options. As a protein delivery company, we need to be present in the plant-based segment and innovate in this space to democratize the category,” he said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Gogoro smartscooters

arrive in PH, says Globe GLOBE Group said Monday the first batch of Taiwan’s Gogoro smartscooters, batteries and swapping stations arrived in the Philippines in preparation for its rollout.

Globe said that as part of Gogoro’s partnership with 917Ventures and Ayala Corp., an initial 100 Smartscooters, 400 smart batteries and seven GoStations arrived in the Philippines.

“We are excited about this pilot rollout as it will not only address the need for more sustainable transportation options but also contribute to the overall goal of creating a greener future for Metro Manila and the entire country,” 917Ventures managing director Vince Yamat said.

with 17.05 percent; Ford Motor Company Philippines Inc. with 7.14 percent’ Nissan Philippines Inc. with 6.37 percent; and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. with 5.56 percent. Gutierrez said that while sales were robust in 2022 and early 2023, there were variables that could affect the performance of the industry in the coming months.

“The auto sales sustained growth or having exceeded last year’s record is not always clear-cut as our overall economic health and activity depends on various economic key indicators,” he said.

Century Peak unit launches cement production, sells products in Visayas

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CENTURY Peak Cement Manufacturing Corp., the newest player in the local industry, launched its operations and began selling products in the Visayas.

Listed-firm Century Peak Holdings Corp. owns CPCMC, which operates a cement facility in Pinamungajan, Cebu.

CPHC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday its cement unit started distributing cement to its target markets in the Visayas after receiving quality standard certification for its Pro (blended hydraulic) and Prime (Portland) cement products from the Department of Trade and Industry.

CPHC said the start of its cement operations came at an opportune time as government programs were geared towards constructions through mass housing, road and transportation projects and other big infrastructure projects which would result in increase in demand for cement products.

“We are looking at the markets where we can make an impact and the Visayas region, particularly in Cebu, Palawan, Mindoro, Bohol and Dumaguete, are included in our

initial phase of distribution” CPCMC vice president for finance Katrina Keng said.

Keng said the company was targeting the underserved localities that may not have much option in terms of cement brands.

CPCMC’s facility has its own pier and allows for efficient logistics in getting the cement products via barge transport anywhere in the country, especially in the Visayas. The plant has the capacity to produce 1 million metric tons of cement annually.

“As a locally-developed brand, we put first the interest of the nation and our countrymen. It begins, naturally with our product that meets the standards set by the certifying bodies that ensure quality,” Keng said.

CPHC, formerly known as Century Peak Metals Holdings Corp., expanded in 2019 its purpose to engage in and carry on general construction and constructionrelated activities, land reclamation and development activities, real estate development or any real estate activities, mining activities and mining-related activities, power and energy activities and power and energy-related activities in the Philippines.

Aboitiz Power, Japanese companies to form renewable energy consortium

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ABOITIZ Power Corp. said Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding to lead a Philippines-Japan consortium that will explore technology development and integrated system for potential projects in renewable energy.

The move will help address the grid stability issues caused by the greater prominence of renewable energy in the

energy mix, according to Aboitiz Power. Aboitiz Power signed an agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., IKS Co. Ltd. and Amber Kinetics in Japan where the parties will leverage their respective new-generation technologies and expertise to optimize RE development while contributing to energy cost savings and grid stability.

This may lead to further exploration and expansion beyond the Philippines

to ASEAN, Japan and Australia.

“With this consortium, the Philippines and Japan can make a significant impact on our transition towards a more sustainable future. Our partnerships represent a powerful alliance that will drive technological innovation and harness the power of renewable energy to create a brighter future for generations to come,” said Aboitiz Power chairman Sabin Aboitiz.

Aboitiz signed the MOU on Friday together with Kawasaki senior managing executive officer and president of energy solution and marine engineering Tatsuya Watanabe, IKS president Takashi Imai and Amber Kinetics chief executive Edgar Chua.

The consortium also expressed optimism in exploring opportunities and making a positive impact on the local and regional energy landscape.

“We are looking forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have on the Philippines,” he said. Globe said the alternative form of transportation would be piloted for the logistics and last-mile delivery industry in Metro Manila in the first quarter of 2023. Its success is expected to pave the way for a new sustainable business model in other Philippine cities. Relevant details will be disclosed in due course. Darwin G. Amojelar

Tunnel construction starts in Quezon City for P488.5-b subway

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Department of Transportation said Monday construction of two underground stations and tunnels in Quezon City for the P488.5 billion Metro Manila Subway Project had started.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the MMSP’s Contract Package 103 that the railway project “will not only boost the country’s transportation infrastructure, but will also improve the public’s living standards and propel the country’s economic rebound.”

Contract Package 103 involves civil works-build only contract for two underground stations of the subway in Anonas and Katipunan which would be referred to as Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo stations.

It also covers the tunnels situated within Quezon City, with a total route length of 6.604 kilometers connecting Quezon City and Pasig City.

“Today is another critical step towards that aspiration towards the convenience and comfort of Filipino commuters towards a transport infrastructure that catalyzes economic rebound,” Bautista said.

“The socio-economic benefits of the MMSP even exceeds our expectations,” he said.

Bautista said the government is committed to building global public transportation for Filipinos as part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Build, Better, More infrastructure development program.

“We promised President Bongbong Marcos a global-standard transport system,” he said.

EDC MEETING. Trade Secretary and Export Development Council chairman Alfredo Pascual (center) leads the first Export Development Council meeting to sustain industry development that will support the export integration of innovation centers. Discussions also included pressing export issues and how the EDC can help facilitate policy interventions. With Pascual are EDC vice chairman and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. (seated, third from left) and other members of the council and executive committee.

Century Peak Cement Manufacturing Corp., the newest player to enter the cement industry, begins distribution of its products to its first target markets in the Visayas. The company is a subsidiary of listed-firm Century Peak Holdings Corp. Shown are two variants of Century Peak Cement—Pro (blended hydraulic) and Prime (Portland) cement products, that are now available in key locations in the Visayas

By Randy Caluag

HIDILYN DiazNaranjo will have greater responsibility for Philippine women’s weightlifting by assuming a bigger role as a board member of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas.

While still an active national athlete, Diaz-Naranjo felt that she can do more for the sport that has given her enormous fortune and changed her and her family’s life.

“(It was) My first time attending a general assembly and an election of SWP. I nominated myself to be part of the board member of SWP because I want to contribute to Philippine weightlifting,” she said in a social media post.

“I hope my influence and experience in sports will bring more programs and awareness of sports in our country, and I hope my degree in Business Management will apply some structure changes for the management and marketing part of the association,” she said.

Among her priorities is to work slowly for the inclusion of weightlifting in the Palarong Pambansa and Universities Athletic

National college tennis tilt under way

ARCHRIVALS Ateneo and La Salle brace for a grueling battle of power and stamina as they play two matches each Tuesday, ushering in the men’s competition in the National College Tennis Team Championships at the PCA outdoor courts in Paco, Manila.

The Eagles face the UST Tigers at 8 a.m. then return in the afternoon to slug it out with the National U Bulldogs at 1 p.m. in Group A play. UST and NU clash tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1 p.m.

The Archers, on the other hand, tangle with the University of the East Warriors at 8 a.m. and the University of the Philippines Maroons at 1 p.m. in Group B. UE and UP duel tomorrow, also at 1 p.m.

The top two teams will advance to the crossover semifinals with the winners disputing the crown.

Hostilities in the women’s side actually kicked off yesterday (Monday), pitting La Salle against Ateneo; and UP versus NU in morning play. UP battled La Salle while NU faced Ateneo in afternoon matches.

UP will take on Ateneo tomorrow while La Salle and NU square off with the top two teams advancing to the winner-take-all finals of the week-long event serving as part of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis program, led by president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

Fierce action is also seen in the individual champion with the leading players and rising stars in the ranks making up the big cast, including regular campaigners in the PPS-PEPP circuit, among them UST’s Nilo Ledama, Eric Jay Tangub, Jose Maria Pague and John Steven Sonsona, NU’s Jude Ceniza, Vince Tugade and Aljon Talatayod, and Ateneo’s Gabriel Tiamson, Nio Tria, Diego Dayrit and Eric Jed Olivarez, Jr.

SPORTS

Mahomes wants to be greatest ever

GLENDALE —Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes has set his sights on being the greatest quarterback to have ever played the game according to his Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

Mahomes clinched his second Super Bowl ring as he led the Chiefs back from ten points down at half-time, throwing three touchdowns as his team defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 on Sunday.

The 27-year-old joins Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Eli Manning and Terry Bradshaw as quarterbacks who have won two Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards in a Super Bowl.

But Reid suggested that Mahomes, whose father Pat was a professional baseball player, has his sights set even higher.

“He grew up in a locker-room and he has seen the greats and he strives to be the greatest. Without (him) saying anything, that is the way he works. He wants to be the greatest player ever, that is what he wants to do and he goes about his business and does it humbly,” said Reid.

Mahomes became only the 13th starting quarterback to win more than one Super Bowl rings. He also became the 11th player to win the Super Bowl and league MVP in the same season and the first to do so since 1999.

The 64-year-old Reid said that after they left the field he had told Mahomes how much he appreciated his approach.

“I told him I love him, I am proud of him for leading the way there. He is a humble kid and works his tail off and as a coach you respect everything that he does there,” he said.

Mahomes completed 21 of 27 passes, throwing for three touchdowns, 182 yards and no interceptions. Reid said those kind of numbers, like others he has produced in his career, could go to a player’s head but not in the case of the Texan.

“There is no bragging. He could stand here and give you the stats he has that are incredible but he doesn’t do that,” he said, noting that he has an ability that cannot be quantified in numbers.

“When it is time for the guys around him to raise their game he helps them with that. The great quarterback make everyone around them better, including the head coach,” he added.

“He has done a heck of a job.”

Mahomes has battled against the pain of an ankle injury throughout the postseason, including the Super Bowl and his team-mate, tight-end Travis Kelce, said he had shown his fortitude. AFP

Diaz-Naranjo ready for bigger responsibility as SWP official

Association of the Philippines or UAAP.

“My hope is high for the sport of weightlifting and for the future Olympic gold medalist/s of our country,” DiazNaranjo added.

She doesn’t just want to be remembered as the first Filipino to hand the country its first gold medal in the Olympics, when she topped the weightlifting women’s 55kg category in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Last month, Diaz-Naranjo started her thrust to a greater path when she joined the powerful 10-man executive board of the International Weightlifting Federation Executive Board.

She attended the board meeting for the first time online, but spenttime initially observing and listening to the discussions.

Diaz-Naranjo, who also copped silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, is also an active member of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.

Obiena leads January sports achievers

POLE vault ace EJ Obiena, one of the brightest stars of 2022, picked up from where he left off and led a bountiful harvest for Team Philippines at the start of the new year.

Obiena hit the ground running and vaulted to the silver medal in the season-opening Internationales SpringerMeeting in Cottbus, Germany with his 5.77-meter effort behind Sam Kendrick’s 5.82 meters.

Just getting started, the Tokyo Olympics veteran cranked it up in the next tournament, the Perche En Or in Roubaix, France, and posted a golden mark of 5.82 meters to beat Jie Yao of China (5.70m).

Obiena’s back-to-back podium finishes put him front and center as the Philippine Sportswriters Association fetes the achievers for the month of January.

Filipino bets on other fronts also opened

2023 hostilities with a bang.

Flyweight Aaron Bado bannered a onegold, one-silver and two-bronze haul from the Philippine contingent in the ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships in Bangkok.

Bado stunned Thai World Championship bronze medalist Thanarat Saengphet via split decision, 3-2, to reign supreme in the 51kg category as bantamweight Flint Jara collared the silver and mininumweight Mark Durens and featherweight Jericho Acaylar brought home bronzes.

Fencers delivered eight golds, seven silvers and 11 bronzes in the Southeast Asian Fencing Federation Championships in Kuala Lumpur to finish second behind Vietnam, which collected 13 golds, 10 silvers and 12 bronzes.

Accounting for the mints were Noelito Jose (senior men’s epee) and Wilhelmina Lozada (senior women’s foil) Alexa Lar-

razabal (cadet women’s epee), Maegan Elizabeth Co Say (cadet women’s saber), Andre Dominic Agatep, Thomas Robert Cabrera, Ram Jimenez and Enrico Suplico (junior men’s team saber), Maiev Tyrande Boy, Kaikaku Dela Serna, Arianna Tiu and Say Co (junior team women’s saber); Jene Baccay, Miyake Capina, Janna Allysah Catantan and Belarmino (junior team women’s foil) and Agatep (junior men’s saber).

Pinoy esports experts made their marks early as well.

ECHO won the fourth edition of the Mobile Legends Bang Bang World Championship (M4) in Jakarta, beating Blacklist International in an all-Filipino finale, 4-0.

The E-Gilas Pilipinas national team for NBA 2K hoisted the Southeast Asian regional crown in the eFIBA Season 1 after outclassing Indonesia in the grand finals, 2-0.

Ernest John Obiena

PH team standouts join hunt as PGT Q-School unwraps

NOMURA Cup veterans Kristoffer Arevalo, Elee Bisera and Coby Rolida head a crack list of national team mainstays seeking to go big-time, taking the first step in the Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School beginning today (Tuesday) at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay City.

Arevalo, the 2022 National Stroke Play champion who also vied in the Vietnam SEA Games and won the 14-15 crown in the Junior World in San Diego in 2013, is all geared up for a four-day test of skills and mental fortitude at one of the country’s toughest courses with its up-and-down layout, deep ravines, undulating surface and the wind factor.

Bisera took the low amateur honors in the last year’s ICTSI Pradera Verde leg, sharing eighth place overall with PGT leg winner Reymon Jaraula with 24-year-old Davaoeno also ready to do battle with the pros and his peers for one of the 35 slots to this year’s PGT.

Rolida, meanwhile, joined the Ateneo golf varsity team during his senior high school and his stints in the Junior World in San Diego, the Asia Grand Final of the Faldo Series in Vietnam and the Singa-

pore Open, among others, should rank him among the marked players from the ranks to contend in the 72-hole tournament. After 36 holes, the top 50 and ties from the field

of 87, including 22 foreign hopefuls, will advance to the final two rounds where they will slug it out for the top 35 and berths in the Category 6. The outside 35 will be included in Category 7 of the 2023 PGT starting fields.

The other young guns hoping to shine in the elims organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. are Gab Manotoc and Jonas Magcalayo, also both former national team members, the power-hitting Josh Jorge, Ivan Monsalve and Don Petil.

They, however, will have their hands full against a slew of pros who are all raring to get going for a strong start in pursuit of the cards after failing to make the grade to any categories 1-5 after the seven-leg PGT circuit last year.

They include former OOM winner Elmer Salvador, Ferdie Aunzo, Mhark Fernando, Rufino Bayron, Rene Menor, Robert Pactolerin, Belem Arancon, Ramil Bisera, Johnel Bulawit, Danilo delos Santos, Nico Evangelista, Jelbert Gamolo, Rolando Marabe, Jr., Paul Miñoza, Francis Morilla, Rey Pagunsan, Elmer Saban, Nilo Salahog, Peter Villaber, Brent Sumampong and Kuresh Samanodi.

Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City celebrates after the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, to win Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. AFP

Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo (4th from left, front row) is shown with coaches and officers of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas during its recent general assembly and election. Photo courtesy Hidilyn Diaz

Elee Bisera

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development

DECENT SHELTER IN WELL-PLANNED COMMUNITIES FOR EVERY FILIPINO FAMILY

DHSUD@4: TAHANANG SAPAT PARA SA LAHAT President Marcos’ ‘Pambansang Pabahay’ inclusivity highlighted

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is highlighting the inclusivity of the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program as it celebrates its 4th anniversary.

With the theme, “Tahanang sapat para sa lahat”, this year’s celebration highlights the goal of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s 4PH Program and the innovative efforts of the Department in making this happen. All of DHSUD has been working doubletime to confront the country’s housing need head on.

With self-made businessman Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar at the helm, DHSUD has been leading the ‘Pambansang Pabahay’ to finally address the 6.5 million housing need of the country, bringing in bold and innovative strategies as the President’s flagship housing program. In barely seven months, the program

has elicited positive responses and secured the overwhelming support of relevant stakeholders which resulted in its fast rollout immediately after its launching. The President himself has expressed his full confidence on the Pambansang Pabahay, dubbing it as the solution to the country’s housing problem, if the goal to build one million housing units per year is achieved. On January 31, President Marcos publicly calls on Congress to include the needed housing interest support in the General Appropriations budget for the succeeding years as part of his administration’s commitment to lower the monthly amortization for homeless Filipinos.

FIVE TIMES THE NEED,

FIVE TIMES THE EFFORT

Records show that the annual average housing production in the past years is pegged at approximately 200,000 housing units. At this rate, the gap in production would balloon at an unprecedented proportion, if not properly acted upon. Thus, the target to produce five times more every year came to being. Secretary Acuzar has vowed to work “five times harder” to fulfill his mission as the housing czar of this administration. The first few months of his stint as

Turn to next page

REDEVELOPING BATASAN AREA. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (center) leads the groundbreaking ceremony of a redevelopment and urban renewal project in Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City under his flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing Program or 4PH. In attendance were (from left) Quezon City Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Quezon City Mayor Ma. Josephina Belmonte and DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, among other key government officials.

CALLS CONGRESS’ SUPPORT. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (center) calls on Congress, through the leadership of House Speaker Ferdinance Martin Romualdez (second from left), to provide fund for housing during the groundbreaking ceremony in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023

www.manilastandard.net

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development

DECENT SHELTER IN WELL-PLANNED COMMUNITIES FOR EVERY FILIPINO FAMILY

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT.

Following the budget deliberations before the Committee on Appropriations, DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar (right) meets with (front, from left) Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander ‘Sandro’ Marcos, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other members of the House of Representatives. The housing czar has been actively engaging stakeholders to promote the administration’s flagship housing program.

PBBM’s...

From C1

secretary, nonetheless, have been productively spent with rigorous technical consultations with industry experts and engagements with relevant stakeholders who are key to the program’s success.

Initially, DHSUD with its newly-appointed officials, has been actively involving the key players expected to participate in the program. First and foremost are local government units which will serve as the implementing arm of the program in terms of allocating land resources and other forms of assistance, and identification of beneficiaries.

As of February 8, DHSUD has sealed 70 memorandums of understanding with LGUs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It also led the groundbreaking ceremonies with 15 LGUs, signaling the official commencement of the projects.

In show of his trust and support, President Marcos Jr. has personally visited the Bagong Sibol Housing Project in Brgy. Nangka, Marikina City in October 2022, inaugurated the Palayan City Township Housing Project in Brgy. Atate, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija in December 2022 and led the groundbreaking of the Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Project in Batasan, Quezon City in January 2023.

These projects are touted to become model townships that will provide not only shelters to the beneficiaries but also present opportunities for social and economic growth. With master plans that include schools, market places, open parks and health stations, the soon-to-be residents will enjoy the amenities they will require in their day-to-day lives. Prior to this, the President has also announced the impending issuance of an executive order that will allocate idle government lands for housing projects. DHSUD has estimated around 16,000 hectares of idle land resources which can be used for housing.

MASSIVE SUPPORT

Other organizations in the bureaucracy have also offered involvement based on their respective mandates to help the Pambansang Pabahay, such as the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Land Registration Authority, Sandiganbayan, among other groups.

In an outright declaration of their intent to participate, some provincial LGUs have also signed a memorandum of understanding with DHSUD, particularly on social preparation, informal settler families census enumeration, socio-economic profiling and the establishment of social parameters.

On the financial side, heads of government financial institutions, including the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund, Development Bank of the Philippines, Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System and Land Bank of the Philippines have formalized their support through a memorandum of understanding with DHSUD as a testament to their commitment toward realizing the Pambansang Pabahay’s goal. President Marcos Jr. has also facilitated initial discussions between DHSUD and private banks on how the latter can help further fueling the program’s course.

DHSUD’s multi-lateral organization partners, Habitat for Humanity, UN Habitat and the World Bank, have continuously extended assistance and vowed on doing so in aid of the human settlements and urban development sector.

Housing production is another area that requires extensive participation of the private sector to ensure the program’s realization and sustainability. Hence, various developer and construction groups have also been tapped. In return, they have reassured DHSUD of their steadfast support in producing the target of one million housing units per year.

Meanwhile, the significant backing of both chambers of Congress is also a big boost to the program’s legislative agenda, including funding support.

FULL SERVICE FOR THE PEOPLE

The Pambansang Pabahay intends to provide a home for everyone. It also promotes unity, inclusivity and sustainability for the service of the Filipino people wanting to have a house of their own.

In recognition of this, DHSUD believes that no one should be left behind. Hence, it has also conducted some dialogues to engage indigenous peoples and marginalized sectors, particularly groups from the transport (Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas), urban poor (Kalipunan ng Masang Pilipino) and security guards (Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators). Leaders and representatives from various causeoriented groups, namely BAYAN, Bayan Muna, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay),

Gabriela, Anak Pawis and Samahang Maralita

sa Temporary Housing-Tondo Chapter also met with Secretary Acuzar to share their first-hand experiences on relocating to government housing projects.

On top of leading the Pambansang Pabahay, DHSUD continuously performs its core mandate which includes policy development, regulatory functions and advisory roles. From July 2022 onward, the Department has issued license to sell to 321 projects with 90 ,143 residential units. This ensures the conformance of the development plans of these projects to the prescribed standards.

On urban development, three Comprehensive Land Use Plans and eight Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans were approved, and 25,021 registered homeowners’ associations are being monitored. DHSUD has also led activities toward the implementation of the Philippine New Urban Agenda.

The National Human Settlements Board has also allowed another year of the rental extension (January-December 2023) under the same terms in 2022. The allowable maximum increase in rent on any residential unit is capped relative to its prevailing rental value.

DHSUD also exercises oversight function on its attached agencies or key shelter agencies. Notably, PagIBIG Fund has reported 46,433 housing units (38% increase from last year) under end-user financing, amounting to P52.4 billion in loan value (105% increase from last year). From this, 8,444 are socialized housing units with a loan value of P3.8 billion.

The National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, meanwhile, has secured the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission on their Shelter Asset-Backed Securities, which is expected to encourage developers’ participation for the Pambansang Pabahay.

For the Emergency Housing Assistance Program, the National Housing Authority NHA) has assisted 33,637 beneficiaries, with a total amount of P349 million for the North Luzon Earthquake, Typhoon Odette (Regions 4B and 7), Typhoon Ursula and other calamities. With the projects that started from the previous administration, NHA has awarded 30,000 Certificate of Eligibility for Lot Award and has completed 7,300 new housing construction.

The Social Housing Finance Corporation, on the other hand, has assisted 706 informal settler families through community-driven and multistakeholder shelter financing programs amounting to P438 million loans released for four Community Mortgage Program projects. It has also turned over 100 units to Intramuros Community Homeowners Association in partnership with its administration.

ROAD TO 6 MILLION HOMES

The Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program has just started, yet it has significantly made an impact on the dream of owning a house in a sustainable and safe community.

Much has to be done but DHSUD is moving forward with the program’s out-of-the-box approaches. It will continue to work on funding for interest support, secure land requirement and empower more LGUs on the ground.

More so, the Department will explore avenues for financial support through developmental loans, end-user financing and private banks participation, as well as incentivizing the private sector banks to participate in the program.

It is a long way, indeed, but the plans are in place and DHSUD is up for the challenge.

At the end of the day – lahat ng Pilipino, may bahay. That is the mindset that DHSUD will bear moving forward next year and the years to come.

USWAG VILLAGE. Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo Treñas (third from right) and Representative Julienne Baronda (fifth from left) eye more partnerships with DHSUD after they broke ground for the Uswag Village in San Isidro, Iloilo City.

A beacon of comfort in end-of-life struggles

AT MOMENTS of intense grief and sorrow, having support during the difficult process of funeral arrangements can bring immense comfort to those in mourning. Golden Haven Memorial Parks steps in to fill this role, serving as a compassionate guide to help families navigate this challenging time.

As the leading provider of premium death-care services in the National Capital Region, Golden Haven Las Piñas

Express yourself in scented fashion

USING perfumes goes back to ancient times. The earliest recorded perfume discovery came thousands of years ago by early Egyptians (3000 BC to 1000 BC) who used scents or oil-based perfumes in their celebrations, rituals, prayer, and symbol of nobility as well as for hygiene and cleanliness. Today, perfumes are considered a popular and powerful fashion accessory. Wearing several layers of scent not only gives confidence but is also a fun way to express your personal tastes and style. They also make great Valentine’s day gifts for men and women.

For your Valentine’s Day sweethearts, give the scent of love with Miniso’s Fascinating Sakura Lady Perfume. The fragrance glows with warm, tangy, floral scent with a touch of woody qualities of green leaves, tuberose, and sandalwood.

Feel the romance and love with Miniso’s Romantic Pink Sakura Lady Perfume. Its scent smells like a stroll in a floral garden with sweet and bubbly hints of fruity fragrances perfect for creating Valentine’s day memories. For your date night, try the Magnificent Life Eau de Parfum for Women. This features a dynamic balance of fragrance with refreshing fruity notes of bergamot, pear, rose, patchouli, vanilla, and musk.

For men, there are Miniso’s Ice-Cool Vigor Eau De Parfum featuring a refreshing and woodsy aroma of bergamot, lavender, pineapple, and green leaves with a hint of geranium, cedarwood, coconut, dry ambers, and moss of tree.

Savor the smell of Miniso’s Black Romance Eau de Parfum with a cool, pungent, and earthy scent with notes of pepper, rose, patchouli, musk, and ambrox. Or for your romantic weekend get-away, Miniso’s Weekend Perfume highlight spring-like weekend with scents of Lily of the Valley, Linen, Pear, Rose, Iris, Patchouli, and White musk perfect for your road trip, retreat, and romantic weekend vacation.

Make your Valentine’s day memories more special with Miniso perfumes. For other Miniso fragrance and scent options, visit shop.minisoph.com

showcases the company’s commitment to delivering the highest quality services and facilities to families during their time of loss. With its exceptional offerings and facilities, Golden Haven Las Piñas sets the standard for excellence in the death-care industry, making it a source of great pride for its developer.

Golden Haven Las Piñas is situated in the heart of the rapidly growing business district of the Global South. It is within

walking distance from VistaMall Global South and Villar Sipag Complex. Commuting to popular destinations like SM Sucat, NAIA, Okada, and Mall of Asia is quick and easy, while metro areas like Bonifacio Global City, Makati, and Bacoor are just a half-hour drive away. Its prime location not only provides families with the convenience of being close to their loved ones who have passed but also offers a unique opportunity for property investment in a memorial park that is both accessible and close to other essential services.

Aside from accessibility, its Chapels and Crematorium provide a comprehensive range of funeral services to help families through their loss. Their complete funeral packages include everything from retrieving the deceased to arranging a casket or urn viewing, and all the steps leading up to the chosen final resting place. By offering a one-stop solution for funeral arrangements, Golden Haven Chapels and Crematorium simplifies a difficult time and provides peace of mind to those in mourning. Golden Haven Las Piñas is dedicated to promoting inclusiveness, and this is reflected in their innovative offering of WakeConnect. As the first and only interactive live wake-viewing service, WakeConnect allows families and friends from all over the world to pay their last respects, even if they cannot be physically present. During the pandemic, WakeConnect provided immeasurable comfort to countless bereaved families and continues to be a valuable resource to this day. By offering this groundbreaking service, Golden Haven Las Piñas demonstrates its commitment to supporting families through their loss.

Like all of Golden Haven’s beautifully crafted memorial parks throughout the Philippines, Golden Haven Las Piñas showcases its own unique theme. Here, the beauty of Spain is brought to life through the rich Hispanic influences that can be seen in its stunning architecture. Visitors are treated to a breathtaking environment where elegance and natural beauty come together in perfect harmony.

Nestled within the spacious and tranquil memorial park of Golden Haven Las Piñas are a variety of options for the final resting place of the deceased. From ossuaries and memorial alcoves to family estates, families have a range of choices to suit their needs and preferences.

During visits, families can find peace and comfort in the serene surroundings or take a leisurely walk to explore the park’s attractions, such as the Pope John Paul II Statue and the Butterfly Garden. With so many opportunities for reflection, Golden Haven Las Piñas is truly a fitting place to remember and honor the lives of those who have passed.

Adjacent to Golden Haven Las Piñas

Women empowering women to find their truth

By Patricia Taculao

FOR decades, women faced prejudice and limitations from a long-standing maledominated community. Instead of living their truth, women had to fit into molds according to society’s norms. But nothing could stop women from finding their voices and purpose in life, no matter how different from people’s expectations.

In the Philippines, actress-socialite and style icon Heart Evangelista is among the empowered women trailblazing their way toward finding happiness in life. Despite Heart’s struggles in 2022, she soldiered on to find the peace and truth she deserved.

As she celebrates her birthday today, February 14, Heart spoke up about her journey of finding staying authentic to herself.

“It took me a while to get it. I grew up in front of a lot of people, so I always had to pretend to be someone.

I had to fit a mold, and I had to be a certain way,” Heart said.

She even likened herself to an onion wherein she had to peel off layers and layers before discovering her identity as an individual and a woman. Eventually, with her bravery to break away from social pressure and the norms, she became unapologetic in living her truth.

“I feel like I deserve to be myself.

I love myself so much more now

because of everything I’ve been through. I’m proud of myself. And because of self-love and that pride that you’ve gone through so much in your life, you carry it with grace— not all the time—but I can say I did. You owe it to yourself to stand tall and be you,” she said.

Heart has always been in the spotlight because of her status as an actress and socialite. At first, she admitted to worrying about what people think of her and giving what she can to get their approval. But she later learned that some people would turn their backs on her, and she only has herself at the end of the day.

“I’m going to step forward, and I’m going to love myself. I don’t care about what you say. I don’t care if I stand here alone. I have a good heart, and I’m an honest person with so much love to give. That’s where I get my confidence,” Heart said.

This mindset of women empowerment made Heart the new face of Avon’s Eve Truth.

is the Santuario De San Ezekiel Moreno, a stunning place of worship that was built in honor of Saint Ezekiel Moreno. Saint Ezekiel was a Spanish Augustinian friar and the patron saint of cancer patients, who served as the parish priest of Las Piñas City from 1876 to 1879. Beneath the picturesque and spacious church lies its own columbarium, featuring three galleries with a total of 21,000 columbarium units. The close proximity of the church and columbarium makes it an ideal location for families who want to honor their loved ones in a spiritual setting.

Golden Future Life Plans, an affiliate of Golden Haven, is conveniently located within the same vicinity. They offer pre-need memorial service plans, giving people a chance to prepare for the inevitable and properly manage end-of-life consequences.

Golden Haven Memorial Parks, with its flagship property, Golden Haven Las Piñas, is a beacon of hope for families in their time of need. From its prime location to its exceptional facilities and services, the search begins and ends at Golden Haven Las Piñas.

Explore unique finishing touches with recycled brass pieces like those mini hoop earrings in silver and gold tones.

Celebrate love with these creative edits

CELEBRATE the season of love with a selection of beloved pieces that will last for years.

London-based global fashion brand, COS, presents its Valentine’s Day gift edit that features small leather goods and modern statement jewelry crafted from sustainable, durable materials.

From classic 100 percent leather ballerina flats to elevated and timeless capes, discover modern essentials like classic belts, baguette shoulder and crossbody bags, which requires a cleaner tanning method that’s kinder to the planet. Explore unique finishing touches with recycled brass pieces like those mini hoop earrings in silver and gold tones and beaded necklaces with fresh water pearls.

Avon, the world’s leading direct seller of cosmetics and skincare, joins in the mission to empower women to find their truth with their latest scent, Eve Truth, launched in the Philippines last February 9, Thursday. Compared to other fragrances, Eve Truth isn’t overpowering. Instead, it has a clean scent that complements the wearer’s natural aroma. It also has fruity and floral notes to represent the user’s feminism.

Eve Truth is part of the Eve Discovery Collection, created and designed by Laurent Le Guernec, a French perfumer known as one of the best in the world.

Through Eve Truth, Avon hopes to encourage women to be confident to find their truth.

Starting this February, buyers can avail of Eve Truth through Avon’s local representatives or online via www.avonshop.ph or through the Avon store on Shopee and Lazada.

COS Valentine’s Day gift edit features modern statement jewelry crafted from sustainable, durable materials.

Shopping for a beloved this Valentine’s Day (and every day) is made special with COS pieces that are made with love, and made to be treasured beyond the seasons. Shop the collection at the COS Store in SM Aura, 26th Street, corner McKinley Parkway, Taguig City.

From left: Kariz Gabrino, Avon Philippines Group Category Manager for Fragrance, Heart Evangelista, and Anna Garces, Avon Philippines Director for Commercial Marketing

Fashion icon Heart Evangelista unapologetically lives her truth

The Santuario de San Ezekiel Moreno Church stands tall within spitting distance of Golden Haven Las Piñas

Golden Haven Chapels and Crematorium is known for its sophistication and comprehensive array of deathcare services

Black Romance Eau De Parum for men has a cool, pungent, and earthy scent

The Magnificent Life Eau de Parfum for Women features a dynamic balance of fragrance with refreshing fruity notes of bergamot, pear, rose, patchouli, vanilla, and musk

Fascinating Sakura Eau de Parfum glows with a warm tangy floral scent of cherry blossoms

Heart Evangelista holding a bottle of Eve Truth, the latest scent from Avon

Show love with the right gift this Valentine’s Day

By Patricia Taculao

FEBRUARY is the season of love because, by the 14th, people across the globe come together to celebrate Valentine’s Day. During this time, hearts, flowers, and other items that show one’s affection often adorn streets, malls, and establishments. Most importantly, Valentine’s Day is when people show their love and appreciation for their significant others, friends, and family. After all, love isn’t limited to couples or spouses.

Although historical claims vary on how the tradition of giving gifts during Valentine’s Day began, it went down throughout the years as a globally accepted practice. As the years passed and people began to broaden their idea of love, the public celebrated Valentine’s Day with people they adore and made it more inclusive.

One of the celebration’s highlights is when people give each other gifts to show their admiration. Malls, shops, and markets all try to provide what the public want or need for Valentine’s Day as they try to find the perfect gift for their loved ones.

The most common gift is a bouquet, with roses as the top choice because they’re associated with passion and other emotional meanings. However, others go down a more personalized route by working with the recipient’s favorite flowers to create a more meaningful and heartfelt piece. Fortunately, flower stores also offer other species of flora, like sunflowers, tulips, stargazes, and more, to bring color and variety to an ensemble.

For the more creative minds, they know that flowers aren’t the only things

they can put in bouquets. Other familiar sights are balloons or stuffed toys, but the options aren’t limited to those alone.

Several specialty shops and flower stores around the metro offer to create unique bouquets with fruits, balloons, novelty items, and more! For instance, since chocolates are a favorite treat on Valentine’s Day, practical and sentimental individuals buy chocolate bouquets to appeal to their recipient’s sweet tooth, while presenting their gift through a decorative approach.

Other items that people use to make bouquets include liquor, makeup, food items, and even gadgets. It all boils down to what the recipient would enjoy receiving. Buyers can also change the bouquet’s appearance and quality depending on their time and budget. But if they’re feeling creative and sentimental, they can try to create the bouquet themselves for a more personalized touch.

Another usual gift for Valentine’s Day is letters. There are several ways to craft a letter, but most recipients prefer handwritten ones because it shows extra effort from the sender. The other option is buying a ready-made Valentine’s card

Give a Thoughtful Gift this Valentine’s with the Limited-Edition Toblerone Love Cards

from the store before adding sweet messages. But, again, with creativity, the possibilities are endless on how to turn usual love letters into something memorable. Others burn the edges of the paper for an old-fashioned look, while others use eye-catching containers like glass bottles or scented envelopes with a wax seal to hold their messages. Thanks to technology and the internet, innovations are available to consumers with just a few clicks. Like bouquets, they can order customized products or engage services to deliver their messages uniquely. Since Filipino culture is familiar with harana or serenading, singing telegrams are still prevalent in some areas in the metro. where people want to take their message a step further.

Speaking of music and other theatrics, online platforms and other applications now allow people to create unique music or art to dedicate to their loved ones. Local artists also offer services to help make the process easier without diminishing the thought.

#BeMoreThoughtful with a sweet gift that lasts.

DON’T we all love to express affection through gifts? When it comes to romantic gifting, ‘it’s the thought that counts,’ they say—but sometimes, the pressure is all too real as expectations are high. We find a way to avoid cookie-cutter messages and generic gifts that often fall flat. This Valentine’s season is a better time to #BeMoreThoughtful and to wear our hearts on our sleeve. However, nailing that perfect gift is not as easy as we think. You could probably relate: you seek out and buy a present with the intention of making a loved one happy, but

realize when you give the gift that it falls short of expressing your emotions or being the best gift that fits your loved one. Toblerone wants to remind Filipinos that it only takes a little bit more thoughtfulness to get the perfect gift. We know that nothing makes the heart flutter more than thoughtful gestures. This Valentine’s fall head over heels for the Toblerone Love Cards, a premium, and limitededition animated card that you can personalize for your loved ones.

Be more thoughtful with your #TobleroneLoveCards by writing

down feelings you’ve always wanted to put into words or draw out the thoughts you’ve always imagined. That way, the gift doesn’t only end when you finish the Toblerone bar but also stays as a heartwarming reminder of a thoughtful Valentine’s Day gesture for your loved one. How’s that for a one-of-a-kind, thoughtful, and premium gift?

This Valentine’s Day, look for the limited edition #TobleroneLoveCards in leading supermarkets nationwide and leading online stores like Shopee and Lazada. It’s your turn to #BeMoreThoughtful!

Besides chocolates, letters, and bouquets, people also gravitate toward buying jewelry during Valentine’s Day because it’s an intimate gesture. Rings, necklaces, and bracelets are the most common accessories given during this global celebration. However, the increased popularity of permanent jewelry made heads turn their way.

Permanent jewelry is an old trend that gained relevance in the last few years. Instead of a traditional clasp, bracelets, rings, and necklaces are welded together on the body. It’s an excellent idea for people with deep connections with their friends, family, or significant others.

In the meantime, some people choose Valentine’s Day to try new experiences to create significant memories with their loved

Go down the classic route with chocolates, flowers, and balloons as gifts this Valentine’s Day or get creative in expressing your love.

ones. Since the stomach is another way to a person’s heart, going to restaurants with good ratings and fit a budget can be a memorable gastronomic adventure. Fortunately, the Philippines isn’t short of dining destinations.

Yet those who prefer staying home during Valentine’s Day can try making a new recipe or ordering out to satisfy any cravings for the day.

Besides food, other locations worth visiting throughout the country offer unique experiences. There are museums to satisfy historical and cultural curiosities, amusement parks to try new rides and play games, and more. But if people are willing to go further for Valentine’s Day, beaches, mountains, and other breathtaking tourist destinations are also available.

If traveling far isn’t anyone’s cup of tea, staycations are a popular trend for people, who want to experience the exhilaration of going places without straying too far from home. Many hotels offer Valentine’s Day packages to allow guests to stay for a few days to enjoy Valentine’s Day and indulge in luxury.

Finding the ideal gift this Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be challenging. People can reflect on what their recipients would appreciate and what shows their genuine affection. They can also try determining the other person’s love language, which defines how people give and receive admiration, to see what would warrant the best reaction. Even though giving gifts is among the five love languages, some people prefer other approaches, like words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch, and quality time. It’s good that products and services offered during Valentine’s Day cover all the available love languages.

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be limited to couples or spouses. It’s the season of love, which knows no age, gender, or other boundaries, so it’s also a perfect moment for families, friends, or colleagues to show how they appreciate one another. Whether a gift is handmade or store-bought, it’s a comforting gesture to give and receive gifts during Valentine’s Day because it indicates how a person can love and be loved.